School Days
by oncertwice
Summary: Captain Swan high school AU in which Killian Jones is a bad boy who sets his sights on good girl Emma Swan. He thought he'd covered all his bases, but didn't account for the possibility of falling for her. Currently rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, all! I'm super excited about this story, and I can't wait to share it with you!**

**Prompt originally taken from tumblr at:** post/77079190750/bad-boy-hook-high-school-au

**"Bad-boy Killian (drives a motorcycle, smokes, bad reputation) decides to corrupt Emma Swan (the good girl, always does what she's told sort of personality). He introduces her to his world and instead of being out for one thing, he ends up falling for her."**

**I really liked this idea, but I decided to make it my own with only a few small changes. I hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

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It was finally here. The first day of school. But it wasn't only that, it was the first day of _Senior year_, or as Killian Jones liked think of it: the beginning of the end.

He'd never really been one for school. He had always managed to barely slide by with straight C's, a fact that made him prouder than it probably should have. It's not that he didn't care about school, he just felt that a proper assessment of a person's talents should depend less on their Grade Point Average and more on their— okay, he didn't care about school. In the slightest. He always told himself that the only reason he went was because it was against the law not to. And even though he didn't care about school, he wasn't going to give the faculty and staff the satisfaction of watching him become a high-school dropout.

Killian was a pretty popular guy, in the sense that everyone knew who he was, and if (for some reason) you didn't, there was surely somebody on standby that was eager to fill you in. Despite his mild celebrity, he didn't have many friends. He had people that he'd talk to in the halls at school, or people from whom he could borrow a pencil, but not many people that he trusted and looked out for.

The only two people he truly cared for, Jefferson Hatrick and August Booth, had been by his side since before he could count. They were his best friends, and had been there for him through all of the hardships he'd faced in his eighteen years. His life had been anything but easy, but having friends like his made every step that much easier. In Killian's mind, they were less like his friends, and more like his brothers.

He silenced his alarm clock and laid in his bed for a few moments before forcing himself up and into the shower. He wasn't looking forward to going to school, but at least he knew that Jefferson and August would by his side. He showered quickly, then went to his closet to pick his outfit for the day. He'd never really been all that picky in regards to his wardrobe, but that's not to say that he didn't know how to look good. He'd caught many a girl (and maybe a teacher or two) staring at him as he walked the halls, and he always made sure to show his appreciation with a cocky smile or a wink.

He never understood what it was about the girls in his school, but it seemed at he'd been on a date or two with half the girls in his grade at some point or another. He picked out a pair of light jeans and a black and white baseball tee. He put the jeans on first, frowning slightly when he noticed a tattered slash over the right knee. He shrugged, deciding that he'd rather not look for another pair of pants, and put on his shirt. He walked over to the mirror to see what state his hair was in. He decided not to bother, since his helmet was just gonna mess it up anyway. He walked off in search of a pair of shoes when he heard his cell phone buzz on his nightstand. He picked it up to look at the screen. He'd just received a text from Jefferson.

_Good morning, sunshine! Meet at the usual spot?_

Killian smiled and rolled his eyes as he typed back.

**Yeah, be there in twenty.**

At some point over the course of their friendship, Killian, Jefferson and August decided that a few mornings a week, they would get together to have breakfast. It started when they were in elementary school, with their parents taking turns driving them to the restaurant and then dropping them off at school. But now that they each had their own means of transportation, they did it everyday. After donning his favorite leather jacket and pulling on his backpack, Killian jumped into his favorite pair of boots and went downstairs. He was met in the kitchen by his father, who was sitting at the kitchen table asleep and snoring loudly, surrounded by paperwork and an open laptop. Killian rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys and helmet before leaving through the front door. He locked the door behind him and walked over to his bike, which had been a sixteenth-birthday present from his father. He sat down on it, and put his helmet on. He started the ignition and left the driveway in the direction of Granny's Diner.

When he got there about ten minutes later, August and Jefferson had just arrived, still sitting in August's car. While Killian preferred to ride his bike to school everyday, August and Jefferson took turns driving each other, alternating days. Killian parked his bike alongside August's car, and bent down to talk to Jefferson through the passenger side window. "How'd you two decide who was driving today?" August looked at him with a triumphant smile, while Jefferson rolled his eyes before speaking. "He cheated at Rock-Paper-Scissors yesterday." August laughed as he took off his seatbelt, and started to get out of the car. "Hey, I resent that! You're just bitching because I figured out your pattern." Jefferson closed his window and opened his door to get out. "Are you kidding me? What pattern?"

"Paper, Rock, Scissors, Rock, Scissors, Paper." August and Killian both deadpanned in unison.

"What? Is that how you guys always beat me? That's not fair! August, I demand a redo!"

August and Killian both laughed at their friend as they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant. "Get over it, Jeff. It's not like you aren't gonna be driving us tomorrow."

Jefferson huffed as he followed behind his two friends. "It's still not fair." Killian shook his head as he held the door open, letting the other two walk through it. "Quit being such a baby, Jeff. You want me to buy you a doughnut?" Jefferson's eyes narrowed as he looked at Killian. "I'm not being a baby, Hook. Keep your doughnut."

Part of Killian always laughed a little when they called him by that nickname. Jefferson and August were the only people he ever let use the name on him, mostly because they were the ones that made it up.

It had happened when they were freshmen in high school, and Killian just happened to have a date with two girls in the same week. He, of course, didn't tell them about each other, but they found out anyway. He had talked his way out of it with both girls, using lines like: "She means nothing to me." and "I thought our relationship was stronger than this." and "You really don't trust me, do you?" Somehow, they'd both fallen for it, with Jefferson and August there to witness the whole thing. Jefferson, being the idiot that he is, was astounded by his friend's smooth talking, and decided that he and August were going to come up with the ultimate "badass nickname" for Killian. About a week later, they'd finally come up with it: "Hook, because the girls always fall for him, hook, line, and sinker."

Killian still rolled his eyes at the "logic" behind the name, but overtime he got used to it. In fact, they only ever called him by his real name when they were angry or upset with him, which was rare. Any time other than that, it was like a foreign language to them.

They walked through the diner, and sat down in their usual booth. Killian put his helmet on the seat and slid in next to it as Jefferson and August sat across from him. "Hook, let me trade seats with your helmet. I don't want to have to rub elbows with this cheater." Killian looked up from his menu and rolled his eyes. "Then, by that logic, you wouldn't want to sit next to me either, mate." Jefferson folded his arms and gave August a seething glare. August sighed exasperatedly and turned to look at Jefferson. "Honestly, man. It's not that big a deal. But if you're gonna be such a little bitch about it, just take the rest of the week, okay?" Jefferson raised an eyebrow and looked at August. "The _rest of the week_? Really?"

"Yes, Jeff. Tomorrow through Friday. We even now?"

Jefferson turned to his menu, trying— and failing— to mask his excitement. "Fine. I guess I could deal with that."

August rolled his eyes as the trio was approached by Granny, the owner of the diner. Over the years that the boys had been coming into the restaurant, they had established a great rapport with her. "Morning, boys."

The three looked up from their menus and singsonged "Morning, Granny." in unison. She pulled a pencil from behind her ear and took out a pad of paper from the pocket of her apron. "Don't tell me, let me guess: chocolate chip pancakes with bacon and coffee for Killian, a western omelette with rye toast and apple juice for August, and for Jefferson, two eggs over easy with a side of home fries and orange juice. How'd I do?" The boys looked at each other and nodded their approval, Jefferson giving the old woman a thumbs-up.

"Granny, I don't know how you do it." August said, honestly intrigued. "You boys order the same thing every Monday. If I didn't know that after all the years you've been coming here, I'd need to have my head examined." The boys laughed at Granny's dry wit as she finished writing down their orders and took their menus. "Granny, what would we do without you?" Killian asked, smiling sweetly at her. "You'd probably starve." She looked at them once more before turning around. "To say the least."

The boys ate their breakfast and chatted among themselves. They compared their schedules and were ecstatic that they had both lunch and English class together. They talked about their prospects for the new school year, and the things they'd like to do, or see done. Well, that's what Jefferson and August talked about. Killian just drifted in and out of the conversation, responding if either of them asked him a question, but mostly just nodding along as his friends talked back and forth.

After they'd finished eating, they payed their checks and rose from the table, heading to their respective vehicles. Killian put on his helmet, sliding the visor up as he called out to his friends. "See you at school, boys."

Killian peeled out of the parking lot and rode off in the direction of the high school. He'd arrived there less than ten minutes later, and parked his bike in his spot, which was a few rows behind August's. He walked up to the car and opened the rear door. He usually kept his helmet in August's back seat since it was too big for his locker. Today, he decided to sit with his friends since they had a few minutes before they had to be inside. "How'd you guys beat me here?" August shook his head and looked at Killian in the rear-view mirror. "Despite what you believe, that motorcycle of yours is not exactly the fastest vessel in the universe."

Killian covered his ears with his hands, blocking out August's scathing assessment of his baby. "La, la, la, la, la, I can't hear you!" Jefferson pulled Killian's hands away from his ears, laughing at Killian's childishness. "Chill out, Hook. He knew that beating you here would freak you out, so he took the back roads." August smiled at Killian in the mirror again. "No traffic."

Killian scowled at August and narrowed his eyes. "I hate you." Jefferson and August laughed as Killian shifted his gaze to the clock in August's dash. "Holy shit, guys, it's 7:45! Homeroom starts in five minutes!" They all three shared a panicked look before leaping from the car and running toward the school building. August locked the car over his shoulder, hearing it beep twice as he jogged behind his friends. Killian started speaking frantically as they ran. "Shitshitshit, I can_not_ be late on the first day of school! My dad will kill me!" August huffed at Killian. "_Your_ dad? Please! What's he gonna do? Talk you to death? If I'm late my dad is going to lecture me in Italian for fifty fucking hours. I can't handle that again." Jefferson laughed at August. "That's not even a problem, dude. Maybe if you'd listened, you'd actually be able to speak it by now." Killian laughed at that, as August tried to trip Jefferson from behind. "Easy for you to say, Mr. I-Never-Get-In-Trouble-'Cause-My-Parents-Let-Me-Do-Whatever-I-Want." The toe of August's boot grazed the back of Jefferson's sneaker, causing Jefferson to falter slightly. "Hey, no fair, August! Cut it out!" Jefferson whined as he broke into a sprint, leaving August and Killian in the dust.

They made it into the main lobby of the school, and set off for their respective homerooms. Killian and Jefferson were headed for the same hallway, but August's homeroom was nearly on the other side of the school. "Have a nice run, Auggie!" Jefferson called as August sprinted ahead of them. Instead of replying, he held his middle finger up at Jefferson as he turned a corner.

Killian and Jefferson laughed as they approached their homerooms, which where across the hall from each other. When Killian finally got into his homeroom, he threw himself down in his desk, trying desperately to catch his breath. They would _definitely_ be leaving home earlier tomorrow.

When it finally came time for lunch, Killian met Jefferson and August outside of the cafeteria and they walked outside together to eat lunch in the courtyard. They ate and talked about how their days had gone so far, all three glad to say that they'd finally reached the halfway point.

After lunch, the three of them walked to English class together and picked three desks in the back of the room. The rest of the class filed in, filling the open seats and waiting for the teacher to address them. After a few minutes, a middle-aged man with a cane walked into the classroom, and turned his back to the class so that he could write his name on the board. His handwriting was plain but neat as he drew a line under the name he'd written. _Mr. Gold_. "Good afternoon, class. My name," he turned and pointed to the board, "is Mr. Gold, and this is twelfth grade English." He moved to stand in front of his desk, and leaned against it as he spoke. "I live here in town with my wife Belle and our son, Baelfire. I've been teaching for fifteen years, and I hope that you all will enjoy this class as much as I enjoy teaching it." He picked up a stack of papers from his desk and handed them out before returning to his spot.

He opened his mouth to speak again when the door to the classroom opened, and a lithe girl with long blonde hair walked through it, looking for an open desk. She handed Mr. Gold a note and took a desk a few seats over from Killian.

Mr. Gold watched her sit before he spoke again. "How nice of you to join us, Miss..." He squinted at the note, trying to read its message "Swan. Now, before anybody else can interrupt me, the paper I've just handed out is the syllabus for this class. Read it, then take it home and have your parents sign it. I want to have them all back by Wednesday. Now, I'm going to give you all the rest of class to talk amongst yourselves. Just don't get too loud."

Killian turned his head to Jefferson and August. "Hey, who's that?" He motioned his head in the blonde girl's direction. Jefferson and August shared an incredulous look before August answered him. "Are you serious, Hook? That's Emma Swan. She's been going to school with us forever." Killian looked at the girl again. She was chatting with two brunettes, one with long hair, the other with a pixie cut. He shrugged and turned back to his friends. "I swear, I've never seen her before." Jefferson shook his head. "That's because she's not your type. Or, should I say, you're not _her_ type." Killian raised an eyebrow at his friend and gave him a cocky smirk. "Not her type? Come on, Jeff. Killian Jones is everybody's type." August cut in next. "Actually, Hook, I'd have to side with Jeff on this one. She's not into guys like you. The whole motorcycle-riding-cigarette-smoking bad boy is probably the opposite of what she'd look for."

"Oh, really now? Well, given enough time, I'm sure any girl could be persuaded."

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. "Really? How much time we talking? Days? Weeks? Months?"

August looked back and forth between his two friends. He could see the gears turning in their heads and knew something bad was about to happen. "Hold on, guys. Where's this headed?"

Killian looked at August. "Well, it sounds as if our dear friend was about to offer me a wager."

August shook his head. "Oh, no. No more wagers between you two. I'm still recovering from the last one."

Jefferson gave August an exasperated look. "Oh, quit bitching, August. You don't even have to be involved this time." He shifted his gaze to his other friend. "Hook, do you really feel confident that you could get Emma to go out with you?" Killian's eyes narrowed as he answered Jefferson slowly. "Yes, I think that I could."

August interrupted again. "Ask her out? That's all you're gonna make him do? That's way to easy for him, Jeff."

Jefferson considered August's words for a second and spoke up again. "You're right, man. Okay, Hook. I am betting that you couldn't get Emma to go to the prom with you."

Killian gave Jefferson and incredulous look. "The prom? Are you kidding me? That's like... eight months away!" Jefferson smiled deviously. "Exactly. That's how sure I am that you're going to fail. You can take as many tries as you need to between now and then, but if the prom comes and she's not going with you, then I win."

August looked at them both. "Now _that_ sounds like a worthy bet. What are the stakes?" Jefferson thought for a moment or two before his eyes lit up. "If I win, I'll just get the satisfaction of knowing that there is at least one sane girl on earth that can resist the so-called charm of Killian Jones."

Killian rolled his eyes. "Okay then... What if I win?"

"What do you want?"

"I don't know Jeff, but I'm sure I'll think of something." Killian turned to look at the girl again. Emma. He was gonna have to remember that if he had any chance of winning this thing.

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**Hope you guys liked it! Next chapter will be from Emma's point of view!**

**Feel free to review while you wait!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much to all those who read/reviewed/followed/favorited. Also, s****orry it took me so long to update!**

**I got a question asking if Emma was going to be your typical wallflower-nerdy type, and she is most definitely ****not****. Just wanted to make that clear!**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

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Emma awoke to a loud, frantic pounding on her bedroom door. She groaned desperately as she pulled the covers over her head and tried to go back to sleep. She was definitely _not_ a morning person.

"Rise and shine, Buttercup!" Pound, pound, pound. "Don't think you can fool me into believing that you're asleep!" Pound, pound, pound. "Come on, Emma."

Emma reached her hand out from under her blankets to her nightstand, feeling around for her glasses. Once she had them in her hand, she put them sloppily on her face and threw the blankets off. "Okay, dammit. I'm up. That's enough excitement for one morning, Ruby." She trudged over to her bedroom door, adjusting her glasses on her ears. When she opened the door she was greeted by Ruby Lucas, her best friend, jumping up and down excitedly in her pajamas.

"What do you want?" Ruby gave Emma a look that was somehow cheerful and exasperated at the same time. "Oh, like you don't know! Move aside, let me help you pick out your first-day-of-school outfit!" Emma was nearly knocked to the ground as Ruby pushed past her, making a beeline for the closet.

"My what?" Emma had to think for a second before her mind started to defog. She walked over to her cell phone to check the date. "Oh shit, today _is_ the first day of school." Ruby laughed as she pulled out a shirt, looked at its front and back, then returned it to where she'd found it. "Of course it is, Em! Don't act like you forgot."

"I wasn't acting, Ruby." Emma said blandly as she joined Ruby in her closet. If you were to judge how much Emma liked school based on her report card, you'd probably guess that she loved it more than anything, air included. She always got straight A's and always did extra credit. She never missed an assignment or a project, and she'd never gotten an F. On anything. Not that it mattered that much to her, it was just something that she'd taught herself from a young age. Academically, she was a model student. Socially, she was no different. Everyone at school knew and loved Emma Swan, from the kids in her grade, to the faculty and staff. She was arguably the most popular girl in school. She had a lot of friends, but she didn't really trust or talk to any of them outside of school, aside from Ruby, Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. The four of them had been inseparable since elementary school.

Emma liked to think that she loved all of her friends equally, but she knew that if she were being honest, she would have to admit that Ruby's place in her heart was just a _hair_ bigger than Mary Margaret's and David's. Maybe it was because she'd met Ruby first. Maybe it was because they lived together. Maybe it was because Ruby had seen Emma at her highest and lowest, and always stayed by her side. She could never really pinpoint an exact reason.

"Why are you picking out my clothes anyway? Don't you have your own outfit to worry about?" Ruby laughed as she turned to her friend. "That's not a serious question, is it? I had my outfit picked like, a week ago." Emma didn't doubt it. Ruby was the kind of girl who believed that people judged you on your clothes before anything else. Mostly because that was how she judged people. Fashion was a really big deal to her, and whenever she and Emma were going anywhere important, she always made sure that Emma's outfit was up to par.

"Here." She held out a black miniskirt and a long-sleeved white chiffon top. "What do you think about this?" Emma took the outfit from Ruby's hands. "This? Are you sure?" Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yes, Emma, I'm sure. That skirt does magical things for your legs, and the top should balance out any slutty overtones." Emma chuckled softly at Ruby's choice of words. "Slutty overtones, huh? Well, if you think it'll look good..."

"I do! Now, go shower and get ready before we run outta time!"

Ruby practically skipped back to her room as Emma went off to the shower. After about ten minutes, Emma was back in her room, blow drying her hair. Once she'd brushed out any tangles, she used her barrel iron to give her hair just the right about of curl. She finished, and ran her fingers through it to even out the waves. _"Man, am I having a great hair day or what?"_ She asked herself with a smile as she left the mirror to put on the outfit Ruby had selected. She went back to her mirror and looked at herself. She fixed the collar on her shirt, and looked closely to make sure that she hadn't buttoned it wrong. Then she pulled the skirt down to her knees, not really wanting to show that much skin. When she was certain that she could fix nothing else, she went back to the bathroom to put in her contacts. She only wore her glasses when she was just waking up or getting ready for bed. She always made sure that they stayed behind when she left the house, and that nobody saw her when she was wearing them, except for her closest friends. Once her contacts were in she went to Ruby's room, not bothering to knock as she walked in.

"Hey, you wanna do my eyeliner for me? I can never get it right, and—" Emma lost her train of thought as she looked at Ruby's ensemble. "Wow, Ruby, you look great!" Ruby smiled appreciatively and did a little twirl, the floral dress she wore fanning out as she did so. "You think? I've been saving this dress forever." Ruby walked over to Emma and looked her up and down. "You look _hot_, Em. And your hair looks amazing!" She motioned for Emma to sit on her bed. "Did you bring your eyeliner?"

Emma sat on the bed and handed her eyeliner to Ruby. "Here you go." Ruby took it from her hands and leaned in close, resting the heel of her hand on Emma's cheek. "Hold still, Emma. I don't want to jab you in the eye again." Emma tried not to laugh. "Okay. I'm not sure about this skirt, though, Ruby. It makes me feel... overdressed." Emma lied, rationalizing that admitting to Ruby how strange the skirt made her feel would only cause Ruby to force her into wearing it. Ruby shook her head, although Emma couldn't see it. "Okay, then. What did you have in mind as a replacement?" Emma could hear the sass in Ruby's voice as she replied. "I was thinking I could just wear a pair of jeans." Ruby finished with Emma's makeup, and Emma went to the mirror to look at her friend's handiwork. She smiled to herself as she admired the winged effect that Ruby was so great at. "Thanks, it looks great!"

Emma took her eyeliner from Ruby and hustled back to her room so that she could change into her jeans. Once she pulled up the zipper, she felt ten times more comfortable. It really wasn't such a bad trade-off; her legs may have been covered up, but the jeans made her ass look fantastic. She walked over to her closet and put on her favorite red leather jacket and a pair of black ankle boots. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, satisfied with the final product.

Instead of going back to Ruby's room, she decided to wait downstairs. "Ruby, I'm ready, and David's gonna be here any minute!" She called once she'd reached the bottom. She searched the kitchen for her backpack, and found it on the counter, with a note attached.

_"Have a great first day of Senior year, girls. I'm so proud of you both. Love, Granny."_

Emma smiled to herself as she heard Ruby approaching. "What's that?" Emma handed her the slip of paper so that she could read it for herself. "Granny left us a note." Ruby read it and smiled, her reaction identical to Emma's. She turned and stuck the note to the fridge under a magnet before she grabbed her backpack and followed Emma to the door. They walked outside and decided to sit on the curb while they waited for David to arrive. Emma sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, while Ruby sat with her legs outstretched in front of her, crossed at the ankles.

"So, Em. You looking forward a new school year?" Emma groaned as she turned to look at Ruby. "No, not really. I found out the other day that _he_ has been asking people about me." Ruby's eyes widened. "Has he really? I'm sorry, Em. Try not to think about it. And, if you need us, you'll always have Mary Margaret and me there to distract you." She reached out and squeezed Emma's shoulder. The _he_ of whom they were speaking was none other than Graham Humbert. Emma had had the hugest crush on him for years, and when he finally asked her out at the beginning of Sophomore year, Emma was beyond ecstatic. They dated from then until midway through Junior year, when he started to distance himself. He gave her his reasons, saying that he felt stifled by her, that he just wanted to take a break; he only needed room to breathe. It probably shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, but she thought that everything was going great. She felt totally blindsided by his confession, but let him distance himself. It was only gonna be for a little while, right? Wrong. After a few days, they met up so that he could tell her that this was less of a 'break,' and more of a 'breakup.'

It took a few weeks before she could even face him again. She would always see him flirting with other girls, and it hurt her, at first. Emma couldn't understand how he could go from loving her one minute, to hanging out with some other girl the next day, then hooking up with other girls the next week. She had never confronted him about it, but she knew that he was having sex with other girls. And that made her sad, but also really angry. She knew that the reason he felt so "stifled" by her was because he wanted to be able to hook up with whomever he wanted, and that was his excuse. Graham had been her first, and she'd guessed that he wasn't ready for the emotional attachment that came along with that bond.

However, she eventually started getting texts from him, and sometimes she'd catch him looking at her in the halls. He would find bogus excuses to talk to her, or go out of his way just to run into her. She knew what he was trying to do, and she didn't want to fall for it. But she missed him, and she missed being with him. Before she even realized it, they were dating again, and she felt on top of the world. They were together all the time, in school, after school, sometimes even the in morning before school. Totally inseparable. That is, until last July, when she felt the same distance between them begin to resurface. She feared that they were headed down the same road, so before he could break her heart again, she decided to end it. Emma broke up with him and he didn't put up a fight. That surprised her, but she never told him how much it hurt that he just let her go.

Deep down, she just hadn't been able to get over their breaking up the first time, and she carried that hurt with her into their relationship once they'd gotten back together. If she were being completely honest, it still hurt to think about it. But when she broke up with him, she promised him that they would always be friends. _Brilliant idea_. Especially since he was intent on actually being her friend. They'd even hung out a few times over the summer just so that he could further illustrate his point. Some days she just couldn't take it. Part of her still loved Graham, but the rest of her was still wary and cautious when it came to him. Even though he never told her so, she was certain that he still loved her. That, is what made her wary and cautious.

After a few more minutes of waiting, David finally arrived. He stopped his car directly in front of the two girls, who immediately jumped up and into the car, Emma in the passenger side, Ruby in the rear behind David. "Good morning, Emma. How are we this fine September day?" David singsonged as soon as she'd opened the door. Emma rolled her eyes as she clicked her seat belt. "Gag me." He chuckled and shook his head. "Sometimes I don't know why I bother." He turned his attention to Ruby. "How about you, Ruby? You look beautiful, by the way." Ruby beamed as she settled into her seat. "Thank you, David, charming as ever." He smiled as he pulled away from the curb.

They drove off in the direction of Mary Margaret's house, and she jumped in beside Ruby when they arrived. "Good morning, everybody!" Mary Margaret chirped as she leaned forward to give David a kiss before putting on her seat belt. It was slightly awkward due to their seating arrangements, but they made it work. The ride to school was uneventful, Mary Margaret and Ruby chatting happily the rear while Emma and David joked back and forth in the front. When they pulled into the school parking lot, David found his space and parked. The four of them took off their seat belts and exited the car. They each closed their doors, and Mary Margaret rounded the car to stand by David's side. He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the top of her head. "You ready?" He looked at the other two girls, who nodded. "Then let's do it." The group made their way into the school building, David and Mary Margaret holding hands, while Ruby locked her arm with Emma's.

Once they were in the main lobby of the school, the two subgroups separated, catching up with friends they hadn't seen since June, and trying to stay out of the way as people milled about around them. Emma had let go of Ruby and was talking to a really nice girl named Kathryn when a familiar voice came up from behind her. "Hey, Emma." She swallowed thickly and plastered a smile on her face before turning around. And there he was. The same shaggy hair, the same boyish smile, and the same alluring stubble that she hadn't seen in weeks. "Hey, Graham."

"You look... great." He said, somewhat breathlessly, as they turned to walk down the hall. Emma self-consciously tucked her bangs behind her ear. "Thanks, Graham. You too." He smiled, and the conversation stopped for a moment before he stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Listen, Emma. I really need to talk to you." She sighed. This was a conversation that she had been dreading since they'd broken up. "What is it, Graham?" He leveled his shoulders and cleared his throat before he spoke. "I think... I think we should get back together." His voice was so uncertain that it almost sounded like he was asking her a question.

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know." She pushed past him and took only a few steps before she felt his hand around her wrist. "Wait, Emma. Is that all you have to say?"

She turned to face him again, trying her best to keep the tone in her voice nonchalant and uninterested as she yanked her hand out of his grip. "Yes, Graham. I believe it is." She turned away again, only instead of trying to stop her, he walked alongside her. "Emma, you have to hear me out." This time she was the one that grabbed him by the wrist, leading him over to a quiet byway where they wouldn't be stopping traffic. "You don't get to tell me what I have to do. You gave up that right when you left me. Twice. You must believe I'm an idiot if you think I'm going to stand around and be bested by you for the third time, Graham."

Graham knitted his brow, and Emma could feel an outburst coming on. "_Bested_? What, is this some kind of game to you, Emma? Do you think that I'm trying to play with you or something?"

"It seems that way, Graham. Honestly, are you keeping track of how many times I can let you in and get my heart broken before I completely self-destruct?"

A look of hurt crossed Graham's face, softening his expression, but only slightly dulling the anger in his voice. "It sounds like you need reminding that _you_ were the one that broke up with _me_, remember?"

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, Graham, I did. But you didn't have to go. You practically leapt at the opportunity. You saw your way out, and you took it. Or do I need reminding about that, too?"

He reached for her hand. "Emma, I love you."

Emma took a step away from him and jerked her hand away from his. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and she did _not_ want to cry right now. "I don't enjoy being toyed with, Graham. I'm not your plaything, and I don't want you to stand here and say those words to me, thinking that I'm automatically going to forget all the ways that you've hurt me. I can't do that."

Graham sighed and took her right hand in both of his. "Please, Emma. I don't want to fight. I miss you so much. I know that we're supposed to be friends or whatever, but I can't be your friend. I've thought about you every day that we've been apart, and I can't believe how big an idiot I was to let you go."

"Twice."

He smiled ruefully. "Yes, twice." He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her hips. "Please forgive me, Emma. I love you, and I just want to know that you still feel something for me. Anything." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Of course I do, Graham. I just don't want to regret giving you another chance."

He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke. "I'll do anything."

"Meet me in the library before tenth period. I won't promise you anything, but we do need to talk. And don't be late." Emma stepped out of his embrace and turned to find her friends. She was stopped by his hand on her shoulder, turning her around and surprising her with a kiss on the lips. Graham pulled her closer and put his hands on either side of her face. In that moment, Emma felt everything. How much she'd missed being held by him. How much she'd missed being kissed by him. How much she'd missed _him_. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers once more. Emma could hear the surprise in her voice when she opened her mouth. "What was that?"

He smiled as he started to walk backwards away from her. "Just a little something to think about." He turned and rounded a corner just as Ruby came running up to her from behind. "There you are, Emma! Was that Graham I just saw?" All Emma could do was nod as she let Ruby lead her around the corner to where David and Mary Margaret were waiting for them. When they approached the couple, David left Mary Margaret's side to put one of his arms around Emma's shoulders, and the other around Ruby's. "I'll see you girls later, I'm gonna walk Mary Margaret to homeroom." Both girls smiled as David hugged them and walked back to Mary Margaret, putting his arm around her waist as they walked away.

Once they'd turned a corner, Emma looked over to see that Ruby was staring at her, clearly waiting for Emma to say something, so she did. "Walk me to my locker?" Ruby sighed. "Okay, then. What'd Graham want?" Emma winced when she heard the question and she prolonged the silence for the few moments it took them to find her locker. She turned the dial, entering her combination and opening it after a few attempts. She shrugged off her jacket and hung it on one of the hooks, then opened her backpack to put a few of her heavier books in the locker until they were needed.

Ruby put her hands on her hips and began to tap her foot impatiently. "Emma, I'm waiting."

Emma slammed her locker shut and walked down the hall in the direction from which they'd come. "He told me he wants to get back together." She avoided Ruby's eyes, knowing that whatever Ruby felt about the idea, good or bad, was going to be reflected in them. After a few moments of unbearable silence, Emma looked at her friend, to see her eyes flickering with excitement.

"You're happy about this?"

"Of course I am, Emma! I know that he's done some... less-than-gentlemanly things to you in the past, but we all know how much you guys have missed each other. What did you say? Are you gonna get back together?"

Emma thought about Ruby's words for a minute, and she couldn't deny that they were true. Graham had broken Emma's heart before, but she always missed him, and hadn't been feeling like herself since they'd broken up. She chewed on her bottom lip before looking back to Ruby.

"What would you do if it were you and Victor?"

Ruby cocked her head to the side as she considered the question. She started dating Victor Whale around the same time that Emma started dating Graham. They had been together ever since. Emma was surprised when Ruby first told her that Victor had asked her out, as he was decidedly not Ruby's type. Outwardly, he was very studious, reserved, and somewhat shy. He got grades just as good as Emma's, and she heard that he wanted to study medicine. Ruby had only taken the date as a courtesy, wanting to let him down gently. But the Victor that she met with outside of school was like a completely different person. He was charming, charismatic, and sweet, and Ruby liked to think that she fell in love with him before he even brought her home that night. Emma thought that they could definitely give David and Mary Margaret a run for their money in a competition for the title of 'Most Perfect Couple.' David and Mary Margaret were the kind of couple that people respected. Not only for their devotion to one another, but for the sheer longevity of their relationship. The had loved each other since they were thirteen and were still going strong five years later. Where David and Mary Margaret were almost exactly alike, Ruby and Victor were like polar opposites. She was chatty, and wild, and constantly giddy. He was sort of cautious and old-fashioned, and he balanced her out perfectly. Emma had always admired both relationships and wished that she could find something like that.

Ruby sighed. "If Victor and I were in the same position as you and Graham?" She shook her head. "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure that even if he broke my heart into a million pieces, I'd forgive him every time." Emma looked at her, and considered her words. "Besides," Ruby began "Why would you pass up an opportunity to be happy again? Even if it's only for a little while."

* * *

When it came time for Emma to meet Graham in the library, her stomach was doing somersaults. She couldn't shake the nervous feeling that she had in her gut and she knew that it was because of the words that she'd had stowed away in her head since they'd spoken that morning. She entered the library, and looked around. She didn't see him anywhere. Emma sat in an empty chair, deciding to wait for him since she had four minutes until the start of tenth period. She had been waiting for two minutes when he finally showed up. She rose as he approached her, holding her hand up in front of her to stop him from speaking before she could.

"I've been waiting a little while, but that's fine. I only have two minutes before I have to get to my next class, so I'm going to keep this short."

Graham's face looked a little puzzled, but he nodded for her to continue, knitting his brow. "Go on."

Emma sighed and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "It wouldn't be right for us to get back together until we air out our grievances. When you broke up with me, I was devastated, Graham. You broke my heart. You had every piece of me, and it was like you knew me inside and out. That kind of rejection is hard to recover from. Especially when you aren't expecting it."

His expression softened, the corners of his mouth turning slightly downward.

She couldn't look him in the eye, so instead she focused her gaze on a point just over his shoulder. "And then to hear all the rumors about the girls that you were hanging out and hooking up with? That was almost too much." She fixed her eyes on his once more, her sadness giving way to rage. "It wasn't fair. If you weren't happy with me, you should have told me, not pretended that you suddenly needed space, or some other bullshit excuse in a half-assed attempt at sparing my feelings. I would never have done that to you. I would never have lied to you like that, or made you feel self-conscious or inadequate. I loved you, Graham. Maybe I still do, but I don't know if I can let you hurt me like that again."

Graham sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck with an open hand. "Emma, I—" He was interrupted when the bell rang, which told Emma that she was officially late.

Emma sighed. She didn't want to be late to any of her classes, especially not on the first day. "I guess we'll continue this later." She turned to leave the library, walking over to the information desk to ask the librarian for a pass to her next class. The librarian, who knew and liked Emma, smiled as she scribbled out an excuse on a piece of scrap paper.

Emma left the library, trying to make sense of the maelstrom of emotions that she was feeling. She found her English classroom, and winced when she saw that class was already well underway. She held her breath as she opened the door. The teacher stopped talking immediately, and she felt thirty pairs of eyes staring at her. Emma kept calm and handed the teacher her note, nodding politely as she found Ruby and Mary Margaret in the sea of faces. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her friends had saved her a seat, groaning inwardly as she heard the teacher comment sarcastically on her tardiness before addressing the class again.

"Now, before anybody else can interrupt me, the paper I've just handed out is the syllabus for this class. Read it, then take it home and have your parents sign it. I want to have them all back by Wednesday. Now, I'm going to give you all the rest of class to talk amongst yourselves. Just don't get too loud."

Emma felt a tap on her shoulder and Ruby handed her a copy of the syllabus. "Here, I grabbed two."

Emma smiled appreciatively at her friend before folding the paper up and putting it in her backpack. After she'd settled into her seat again, she turned to see her friends staring at her with wide, expectant eyes. Mary Margaret spoke first. "So, Emma. A little birdie told me that you were talking to a certain ex-boyfriend of yours today." Emma groaned and looked at Ruby, who was smiling innocently. "Oh, come on, Emma! You know I had to tell Mary Margaret!" Honestly, Emma wasn't even angry at Ruby, she just didn't feel like discussing Graham any further.

"Yes, Mary Margaret, I was." Mary Margaret smiled brightly and reached for Emma's hand. As much as Emma pretended otherwise, she loved that she had such meddling friends. It was nice to know that they were there for her when she had a problem, even if she didn't always want to talk about it. "Emma, you've probably already heard his from Ruby, but I just want you to be happy. Even though you and Graham have had your ups and downs, we all know that you two were happy together. So, did you give him an answer?"

Emma shook her head. "Nope. Got interrupted by the bell." Mary Margaret made a 'tsk' sound and leaned back in her chair. "Well, don't worry about it. You'll get there." Emma smiled at her friend's reassuring words. "Thanks, Mary Margaret."

Ruby leaned in close to her friends, her voice low and even as she spoke. "Okay, do _not_ look now, but..." Emma stiffened as she looked at Ruby. "But what?"

Ruby shushed Emma and pulled her just a hair closer. "Is it just me, or is Killian Jones trying to burn a hole in the back of your head right now?"

Emma made a confused face and looked at Mary Margaret, who was looking beyond Emma to the back of the room. "Yup, he's definitely staring. Wonder why."

Emma shook her head. Why did it matter? Killian Jones was the epitome of everything in which Emma was decidedly not interested. She had never actually met him, but when she used to work for Granny at the diner, she'd sometimes see him and his friends there if she worked a morning shift. They'd also been going to school together for years, so she knew enough about him to know what he was about. He was the type of guy that had girls of all ages swooning and fawning over him. He was a womanizer with an attitude problem; the type to lure you in with false romanticism then leave you hanging if you were unfortunate enough to fall for it. She'd heard a handful of stories like that about him in the past year alone, and she was not interested. However, Killian did have one thing going for him, though Emma would never admit it to anyone: he was _unnecessarily_ attractive. Like, fifty-on-a-scale-of-one-to-ten attractive. Emma guessed that some people just get lucky in that respect, and she was sure that he 'got lucky' a lot.

Ruby's voice brought her out of her reverie. "Ooh, Emma, maybe he's got a secret crush on you!" Emma rolled her eyes and laughed dryly. "Yup, I'll bet he does. He could have any girl in the tristate area, but for whatever reason, he's set his sights on me. Very likely, Ruby." She made a short sound of disgust. "He's not my type anyway. And I have a boyfriend. Kind of. Almost." She sighed as her friends laughed at her flustered expression.

The three girls chatted amongst themselves while the rest of class went by. When the bell rang, all three rose from their seats and made their way toward the door. This was their last class of the day. Now, all they had to do was find David and go home.

But, of course, life could never be that easy. Before the trio had even taken three steps down the hall, she heard her name being called. "Hey, Swan." Oh, god. Please no. She turned around to see Killian Jones looking at her somewhat expectantly. He was flanked on either side by his only friends (that she knew of), August Booth and Jefferson Hatrick.

She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the three boys. "Can I help you?"

His smile was saccharine and artificial as he stalked closer to her, his friends staying behind. "Why, yes. You can."

The familiar tone in his voice made her skin crawl, but she was momentarily distracted by his eyes. Did that shade of blue even occur naturally? She maintained her poker face, though, and raised an impatient eyebrow at him. "Then I suggest you get on with it. I'd like to make it home at some point in the not-too-distant future."

His sickly-sweet smile changed into something that she could only describe as feral. He raised an eyebrow at her and stopped only when the toes of their shoes were touching. She was totally uncomfortable with his proximity, and the growing attention that they were attracting from passersby was not helping. Emma gave the small crowd a pointed look, and they all dispersed. "It has been brought to my attention that we have never been properly introduced. I figured that since we now share a classroom, there was no time like the present to remedy that situation. My name is Killian Jones. And you, are Emma Swan."

Emma wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she didn't. Did he think that he was fooling her with this phony 'Getting To Know You' bit? "Great. Nice to meet you. See you around." She turned away from him to see where her friends had gone. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and he turned her back around to face him again.

"Now, now, Swan. It's impolite to be so dismissive. I was merely trying to make friends with you."

Emma's expression remained blank as she blinked her eyes at him. "I've got enough friends, but thanks for the offer." He opened his mouth but before he spoke, his eyes flicked over her shoulder, then back to her before they locked on whatever it was that he saw over her shoulder. He took a minimal step back and she cocked her head to the side. "Something wrong, Jones?"

Her question was answered when she felt a protective arm come around her shoulders. "There you are, Emma. We've been looking for you." She recognized his voice, and looked at David as he stood next to her, staring Killian down. Killian had been right to be wary. David was not one to be messed with, especially since he was captain of the football team and could almost bench press his own body weight. His hand gripped her shoulder tightly as he nodded at Killian.

"How are you, Killian? Keeping busy these days, I hear." Killian nodded back and his overly polite smile returned. "Oh, yes. Quite busy indeed. But never too busy for a little fun." He raised an eyebrow then winked at Emma, which made David's grip on her shoulder even tighter. "Alright, that's enough." David said, stepping in front of Emma, as if his body could block the implication in Killian's words. "If you think I'm gonna let you anywhere near Emma, you've got another thing coming, pal." Emma was not at all surprised by David's words. He had always loved and protected her like a brother since they were kids. Sometimes she loved him for it, other times, not so much. Killian snorted and took a step toward David. "Oh, is that right? Even if you decide I'm not worthy of Her Highness' company, I have ways of getting around the likes of you, Dave." Killian had lit the fuse, and Emma could probably count down the seconds until David exploded. "Oftentimes it's only a matter of waiting until a girl comes to me."

_Tick, tick, tick._

"You know how it is. A girl can only take so much of the same old mundanity before she's begging for something new, something exciting." This time, he looked over David's shoulder to wink at Mary Margaret, who instantly recoiled in disgust. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

_Kaboom._

David lunged at Killian, gripping him by the collar. Emma had her hands on his waist trying to pull him back while Jefferson and August were both trying to pry his hands off of Killian's shirt. "David! David, stop it! He's not worth it!" Emma begged as she tried to pull him with all of her might. He was incredibly strong, and that fact was not lost on her as they all struggled to free Killian from David's iron grip. "David." She groaned. "It's the first day of school, for fuck's sake! Let him go!" Mary Margaret ran into the fray next, putting her hand on David's shoulder and speaking to him in a calm and authoritative tone. "David, stop! Emma's right: he's not worth it. Let him go, for me."

And that was all it took. David hesitantly released Killian's shirt, but pushed him forcefully as he let go, causing Killian to fall back, only to be caught by his friends. "Stay away from Emma."

The group of four turned away and walked down the hall, heading toward the closest exit. Once they were safely in front of David's car, Emma could no longer hold her tongue. "Are you serious, David? Are you fucking kidding me? You had no reason to interfere back there! And then damn near strangling the guy because he made a _joke_?" She laughed mirthlessly and pulled her bangs behind her ear. "I honestly cannot believe you sometimes."

David's rage had not completely subsided, and Emma could tell that he was trying to keep his composure. After all, his anger was not directed at her. "Emma, I care about you— I love you. You and Ruby are the closest thing I have to sisters and I would do whatever it takes to keep you guys from getting hurt. Don't act like you don't know the kind of guy that he is. Getting involved with him would mean only one thing for you, Emma. And that is disaster."

She huffed at him exasperatedly. "Oh, give me a break. What makes you think that I couldn't handle myself? I love you, David, but sometimes you just—" She made a frustrated sound, something that came out sounding like both a groan and a growl. She raised her hands to her temples, in an attempt to ward off the headache she could feel was on the horizon. "Thank you, David. I really mean that, but next time you see me talking to a boy— Killian Jones or otherwise— keep your distance. This is the last time I'm gonna warn you about this, David. I'm over it."

David's breathing had finally slowed to its normal rate as he raked his hand through his hair and looked at her. "I don't know if I can promise that, Emma. Especially not if I catch you talking to him again." She groaned and wished, just this once, that David could act like any normal friend would and back off. "God, David. Why do you have to be so frustrating?" She yelled at him, shoving him in the chest.

Mary Margaret, who always took it upon herself to be the mediator, spoke up next. "Alright, you two. That's enough. It's been a long day for all of us, and I think we ought to just leave this alone now.

David looked at Mary Margaret before returning his focus to Emma. "I can't. I can't leave it alone anymore. Emma, you have to realize that when it comes to the opposite sex, you can never make the right decision."

Emma's eyes widened and her nostrils flared at David's accusation. "Cut the shit, David. We all know that you'll jump at any opportunity you get to meddle in my life."

Mary Margaret, sensing the building tension, tried to warn them again. "Guys, seriously. This is hardly the time or place for this discussion. Let's drop it." She looked at Ruby, silently urging her to say something. "Uh, Mary Margaret's right, guys. We should probably just go home now." Mary Margaret and Ruby shared a nervous look; they both knew where this was headed.

David and Emma ignored them completely, not even bothering to look in their direction. "Meddle in your life, Emma? Is that really what you think I'm trying to do? It's more like cleaning up your messes, and I'm getting sick of it." They were in each other's faces now, standing toe-to-toe, brows knitted, and hands on hips.

"Well, David, if it's such an issue for you, why bother? Do you really think I can't take care of myself?"

David laughed angrily. "Of course you can't, Emma! It's like you have a flashing neon sign on your back that says 'Assholes Welcome!' That's the only type of guy you can attract. You don't understand what guys like that can do to girls like you."

"Then why don't you tell me, David? Since you seem to know _so much_ that I don't!"

David closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, Emma, you can be so shortsighted and immature. Open your damned eyes for once." David's voice was getting louder, and before he could stop it, he was yelling into Emma's face. "You need to wake the hell up and realize that not every guy out there will care about you the way I do! Why else do you think Graham walked all over you like that?!"

Hearing David's words, Emma's anger fell away from her face. What replaced it could only be described as a mixture of pain and shock. "Wh— what did you just say?"

Mary Margaret put her face in her hands, and sighed. "Oh, David." She and Ruby looked at each other, each mirroring the other's worried expression.

Emma stepped back from David, who immediately realized what he'd said, and tried to reach out for her. "Emma... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just—"

"Stop it, David." Emma could feel a lump forming in her throat as tears started to sting the back of her eyes. "You said what you wanted to say." She paused, the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak as unshed tears began to blur her vision. "Congratulations. I finally hear you loud and clear."

She walked over to the car, opening the back door and sitting behind the driver's seat, so that she wouldn't have to continue this line of discussion. The other three got into the car and David started the ignition with a sigh. Not wanting to even hear him anymore, Emma took out her phone and plugged her headphones into it in an attempt to drown him out. She and David had gotten into heated arguments before, but never like this. Mostly because they were too much alike; each too stubborn to yield to the reasoning of the other. She could feel tears starting to roll down her cheeks as she sank down in her seat, music so loud it could be heard by everybody in the car. _"Brilliant start to Senior year."_ She thought to herself as they finally left the school parking lot.

Once David pulled into their driveway, Emma and Ruby exited the car. Ruby said goodbye to David and Mary Margaret, as Emma leapt up from her seat and slammed the door. David watched her storm off, still upset about their argument. He sighed as he pulled out of the driveway and drove away.

Emma went up to her room and closed the door behind her. She knew that she had only brought it on herself by snapping at David, but sometimes he could be so frustrating. She threw herself onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. What did she care about Killian Jones anyway? Why had she even defended him when everything that David said was true? After a little while, there was a knock on her door.

"It's open."

The door creaked open, and Emma sat up to see who it was. She smiled feebly when she saw that it was Granny with a plate of cookies. "Hey, kid. Heard you had a rough first day."

Emma snorted. "That's a little bit of an understatement, Granny." She sat up, and made room for Granny to sit next to her. "First, I got into an fight with Graham, then I got into a full-on screaming match with David. Honestly, I probably should have just stayed home." Granny sat beside Emma, and held the plate of cookies in front of her so that she could take one. Emma shook her head, so Granny moved the plate and sat it on Emma's nightstand.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

As Emma smiled at Granny, she could feel the tears brimming in her eyes, and she rubbed them away before they could fall. "I'm fine." She sniffed, trying her best to smile.

"You aren't. You know that you don't have to be brave for me. So, tell me: what's upsetting you, Emma? Is it David, or Graham?"

She shook her head as she thought for a moment. How did Granny get so perceptive? "To be honest, it's both. When David and I were fighting, he told me that I let Graham walk all over me when we were together, and he implied that that's why Graham went around with other girls." Granny raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart. You know he didn't mean it. He was probably just trying to get under your skin." She said as she put her arm around Emma, pulling her close enough for her to rest her head on Granny's shoulder. Emma sighed as she leaned in to Granny. "No, I know David. He definitely meant it. When he gets that angry he has no filter. And he immediately tried to apologize once he'd said it. If he were only trying to hurt me, he would have let it sink in."

"Well, Emma, what are you going to do about it?"

She shook her head again as she felt fresh tears starting to fall. "I don't know, Granny. Something about the way that he said it really hurt. The way that he threw it in my face like that. He saw a weak spot, and he jumped on it. I just can't believe he would say that to me, knowing how badly Graham messed me up."

Granny sighed as she rubbed soothing circles into Emma's back. "Maybe it only hurts because you know that he could be right." Emma sat up and turned her body to face Granny. She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, and then wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "You think so?"

The old woman smiled now, and looked at Emma tenderly. "I know you, Emma. The only reason you would possibly be upset about this is because you are mad you couldn't see it for yourself. So maybe, instead of being angry at David, thank him for loving you enough to say it." She patted Emma's knee as she rose from the bed, reaching for the plate of cookies. She held it in front of Emma once more. "Sure you don't want one? I baked 'em at the diner this morning."

Emma smiled as she relented and took one from the plate. "Thanks, Granny. For the talk and for the cookie."

Granny smiled and kissed Emma on the top of her head. "Any time, kid." She left the room and closed the door behind her.

* * *

The next morning, as opposed to going to school with Mary Margaret, Ruby, and David, Emma got up before the sun and decided to go with Granny and help her open up the diner before going to school.

They left the house at 5:00, and Emma figured that she could always return home to change her clothes and put in her contacts before school. She got to help Granny wipe down the tables, and do other small chores that Granny would usually have to do on her own. She got to watch Granny bake loaves of bread, and cakes and cookies, which was something she hadn't been able to do for a while. There was something about being here with Granny that made her feel warm and happy. Emma used to help out all the time, but she couldn't remember why she'd stopped. She looked up from the glass she'd been polishing and craned her neck to see if Granny was around. "Hey, Granny?"

"Yes, Emma." Granny appeared from the kitchen, apron dusted lightly with flour. The sight of Granny in work mode always made Emma smile. "Why did I stop working here?" Granny shrugged as she went back to the kitchen, talking to Emma through the window that connected it with the rest of the diner. "Uh, when did you quit again?"

Emma wracked her brain for a moment, trying to remember. "I think it was tenth grade." Before Granny could even reply, Emma remembered, and instantly felt guilty.

"Isn't that around the time you started dating Graham?"

Yes, yes it was. Emma realized and she felt bad thinking about how she shirked her responsibilities to go run around with a boy. A boy who wasn't even worth it. "Granny, I'm sorry. It was so stupid of me to leave you hanging like that so that I could spend more time with my boyfriend." Granny reappeared, flipping the open/closed sign over and unlocking the door. "Don't sweat it, kid. You're here now. And even though I know it's just for today, I think it makes up for everything else." Granny winked playfully at her before going back to the kitchen.

Emma finished polishing the glasses and decided that she ought to go back home if she was going to have enough time to get ready for school. She hopped off of her stool at the bar and walked around it to find Granny in the kitchen. "Granny, I'm gonna go home and change now. I'll see you after school." Granny didn't bother to look up from the dough she was kneading when she replied. "Alright, Emma. See you then."

Emma felt content as she turned to leave the kitchen, pushing through the door and back out into the dining room. She gathered her things and grabbed her keys from the counter just in time to see three familiar faces come into the restaurant. First, Jefferson Hatrick walked though the door. Well, he stumbled through the door as August Booth pushed him playfully on the back. Behind them, Killian Jones walked in with his motorcycle helmet in his hand. He even made helmet-hair look great. How was that fair? Emma sighed and made a beeline for the exit. She wasn't really looking to pick up where they'd left off yesterday. But, of course, he noticed her before she could slip by.

"Swan?"

Emma turned slowly to see Killian standing by a table where August and Jefferson were seated and staring back and forth between Killian and Emma.

"Jones."

He cocked his head to the side as he made his way over to her. "How's it going? Hold on, don't answer that." He made a show of looking around the room before returning his attention to her. "Just trying to make sure that your dear friend David isn't lurking in the shadows anywhere."

Emma rolled her eyes and looked at him sternly. "About that... Look, this is _not_ gonna be easy for me to say, so I'm only going to say it once, and you better listen up."

Killian raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Alright, then."

She sighed and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about yesterday. David has a short fuse, and he gets really protective sometimes. But he had no right to manhandle you that way. So, I'm sorry."

Killian's face was serious, which made her wonder what he was thinking.

"You said it twice."

Emma knitted her brow. "I what?"

"You said it twice. You apologized twice."

She rolled her eyes and made an exasperated sound. "Alright, then. On that note, I'm outta here." She had just opened the door when he called out to her.

"Oh, and Swan?"

She sighed and turned around to face him. "Yes?"

"You look great in glasses."

* * *

It had been a while since Emma had last spoken to David or Graham. She avoided both of them during the day, and got rides to and from school by taking the bus. She hated taking the bus, but she just wasn't ready to talk to David about their fight. It was almost kind of funny: talking to Graham only reminded her of the unresolved issues with David, while talking to David only reminded her of how badly Graham had treated her.

She got out of her bed and went to go use the bathroom. When she returned to her room, there was a body lying under her covers. She sighed and got in next to Ruby who turned to look at her.

"What is it, Ruby?" Ruby sighed as she sat up and leaned her back against the headboard, her legs crisscrossed Indian style beneath her. "We miss you, Emma." Emma groaned and adjusted her glasses on her nose. "What is this 'we,' Ruby? You see me every day." Ruby sighed. "I know I do, but it's just not the same as having the four of us all together. He's really sorry, you know." Emma sat up now, moving to sit in front of Ruby in the same position. "I know he is. He's texted me at least twice a day since that first morning I took the bus." Ruby smiled sadly and leaned her elbows on her knees as she spoke.

"When are you going to forgive him?"

Emma chewed on her bottom lip and thought about Ruby's question. She had sorely missed being a part of the group, and only seeing Mary Margaret during English class was not good enough for her. "I guess I could talk to him today." Ruby's eyes lit up as clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, thank you, Emma!" She leapt forward and tackled Emma with a crushing bear hug. She jumped up and down on the bed a few times before bouncing off and scurrying out of the room.

Emma rolled over, reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand. She opened up her text messages, and scrolled through her recent conversations, looking for David. She found him and sat with the phone in her hand for a few minutes, trying to think of something to say. She looked at the time, and saw that it was still pretty early. It was 10:03, which was early by weekend standards— especially for David, who was a late and heavy sleeper.

Deciding to roll the dice, she typed out a careful message:

**Hi.**

She wanted to laugh at herself for making such a big deal out of one little word, but she hadn't spoken to David in almost two weeks. This _was_ a big deal. A minute or two later, her phone chirped at an incoming message. She held her breath and looked at the screen. It was David.

_Hey, Emma. _

She felt like she needed to lighten the mood, to let him know that she wasn't angry, so she made a joke.

**Wow, I'm surprised. David Nolan is actually up before noon on a Saturday? Are you feeling alright?**

Another chirp, which meant another text.

_Yup. You need something?_

Emma cringed at his text and wondered what was wrong with him.

**God, David. I'm trying to tell you that I miss you. What's the matter with you?**

_What's the matter with me? Did I seem a little on edge? Maybe it has something to do with being ignored by my best friend for the past TWELVE DAYS._

**David, you can be such a drama queen. I don't want to fight with you anymore. Especially not over text messages. Can I see you?**

_What time?_

**Now. Meet me at home?**

_I'll be there in five._

Emma sighed as she rose from the bed again. She went to the closet and put a sweatshirt on over the tee shirt she had been sleeping in. She didn't bother to change out of her pajama pants, since it was nothing he hadn't seen before. She walked over to the mirror and brushed her unruly curls into a ponytail.

She went to the kitchen to see what, if anything, there was to have for breakfast. She had just poured the milk over her cereal when the doorbell rang. She walked over to it and opened it to find David standing on her porch, wearing a denim jacket over a tee shirt, and his pajama pants. Emma opened the door wider and motioned for him to come inside.

After he'd come in, she watched him walk through the house before shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over the arm of the couch. He then walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, pouring cereal and milk into it as he waited for her to speak. He walked over to the table and sat down without grabbing a spoon. He remembered and went back into the kitchen to get one. Emma stopped him before he could open the drawer.

"Uh, hello? I didn't ask you over here so that I could watch you eat breakfast, David."

He folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her. "Okay then. What'd you call me here for? So that I could throw myself down at your feet and beg for forgiveness?" Emma scoffed at the tone in his voice and pushed her glasses further up her nose. "Really, David? Is that what you think I want?"

He looked at her sternly for a few moments before he raked his hand through his hair and sighed. "No, Emma. I just— I hate it when we fight." She looked at him and saw the anguish on his face, and felt bad knowing that she was the cause of it. She opened her arms and wrapped them around his waist, resting her head on his chest. He smiled weakly and hugged her back tightly, resting his chin on her head. "I'm sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry. I never should have jumped into your conversation with Killian. It was wrong of me to interfere. But I really don't feel bad about that. I feel bad that I brought up Graham, knowing how badly he hurt you. It was a cheap shot, and I could have been a lot nicer about it. I feel bad that I made you cry. I know how hard it is for you to be criticized, and I should've taken that into account before attacking you so personally."

Emma pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. "It's okay, David. It was all stuff that I needed to hear. I'm sorry for being such a bitch. I had every right to be angry at you for butting in, but I shouldn't have gone about it that way. It was wrong of me to egg you on and taunt you into an outburst." She paused as the barest hint of a smile graced her lips. "God, do we know how to push each other's buttons, or what?"

They both laughed, and he hugged her again, swaying from side to side. "God, I missed you, Em." She hugged his waist tightly and buried her face in his chest again as her glasses dug into her nose. "I know, me too. Let's never fight like this again, okay?" David sighed contentedly and let her go, extending his hand to her. "Deal." Emma shook his hand and nodded in agreement before laughing and handing him a spoon. "Here, before your cereal gets too soggy." David grabbed it from her hand and resumed his seat at the table as Ruby came into the kitchen.

"Is everything back to normal now?" Emma looked at her and nodded, which only started another excited rampage. Ruby bounced up and down before hugging Emma tightly and running to David and bending over so that she could hug him from behind as he sat at the table. "Oh, I'm so happy! Now, all we're missing is Mary Margaret."

They all three laughed before Emma and Ruby joined David at the table. They ate cereal and laughed together, Ruby and David filling Emma in on everything she'd missed in the twelve days that she'd been gone. After they ate, David hung out with Emma and Ruby for a few hours before going home again. He rose to leave, and hugged both of them tightly. "We'll see you on Monday, David." Emma said as she walked him to the door. David raised his eyebrows in mock-fascination. "Oh? Was that a 'we' I heard? Will Emma Swan finally be gracing us with her presence again? And here I thought you liked taking the bus." Emma punched him in the arm and pushed him onto the porch. "Seriously, David? The bus driver doesn't even like the bus, and he gets _paid_ to be there." He laughed as he turned away and waved at her over his shoulder. "Monday it is, then. Love you." Emma smiled. "Love you, too." She called back as he hopped in his car and drove away.

Emma closed the door and looked at the clock on her phone. It was 1:17. She rejoined Ruby, who was sitting on one end of the couch in the living room. Emma sat down on the opposite end, knowing that Ruby was going to lay her head down on her knee. And once Emma sat down, Ruby leaned over and made herself comfortable. "Don't you feel ten times better now, Em?" Emma smiled. She really did feel so much lighter. "I do, but maybe not ten times, exactly. I still have to work things out with Graham."

She fought the urge to cringe when she thought of the impending confrontation. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she knew that she couldn't keep avoiding him forever. Especially not when she was the one that told him that they would continue their conversation.

"Why don't you just call him?" Ruby asked simply. Emma thought about it for a moment. She had honestly not thought of that. "And what am I supposed to say?"

"Just ask him to come over here and talk. I'm going out with Victor in a little bit and Granny's gonna be at the diner until after the dinner rush. You'll have the house to yourself."

Emma considered Ruby's proposal as she reached for her phone again. Before she even realized it, she had dialed Graham's number, and was pacing the floor as she waited anxiously for him to answer. After five rings, she heard his voice.

"Hello?"

Emma felt the urge to smile when she heard his voice. _Focus, Emma._ "Hey, Graham. It's me." She immediately wanted to slap herself. _Of course he knows it's you, you idiot!_

"Uh, yeah. What's up, Emma?"

Deciding not to beat around the bush, Emma got to the point. "Do you think you could come over today? Since we never got to finish that talk?"

Graham sighed and she couldn't tell if that was a good sign or a bad one.

"Honestly, I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me. We last talked like, two weeks ago."

Emma decided to sidestep the whole "avoidance" comment and pretended not to have noticed it. "Two weeks? Wow, sorry about that."

Graham laughed, and even over the phone, Emma could tell that it sounded a little self-conscious. "It's alright. What time should I come over?" Emma pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the clock. It was 1:21.

"Uh, how does 2:30 sound?" Graham was silent for a moment before answering. "Sounds great, see you then."

"Alright, Graham. Bye."

Emma hung up the phone and turned to look at Ruby, who she'd actually forgotten was in the room.

"See, Emma? That wasn't hard at all, now, was it?" Ruby asked, patting the couch where Emma had been sitting.

Emma threw herself down, her head falling against the upholstery. "Yeah, the hard part hasn't come yet; that's what I'm dreading."

Ruby shook her head as she rose from the couch. "Oh, stop it. You'll be fine. I'm gonna get ready to go out."

After Ruby had dressed and left for her outing, Emma finally decided that she needed to make herself presentable before Graham arrived. She hurried up to her room and put on a pair of jeans and a Beatles tee shirt. She straightened her hair, and then put in her contacts. She looked in the mirror at herself, and noticed a stain on the front of her shirt. She frantically searched for another one, settling for a black and gray striped tee she found at the bottom of her closet.

She went back downstairs and was only waiting for a few minutes before the doorbell rang. Graham was standing on the porch when she opened the door, looking nervous with his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

Emma smiled at him and opened the door wider so that he could enter. "Hey, Graham." She lead him into the living room and sat down on one end of the couch, while Graham sat on the other. She turned to face him, moving her legs so that they were crisscrossed Indian style beneath her.

"Okay. Since I did all the talking last time, I think you should start."

Graham sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Truth is, Emma, I don't really know what to say. All those things you said to me in the library were true. When I broke up with you, I should have been honest. There was no real reason for me to lie to you aside from trying to save my own ass. And I apologize for that. Knowing how much I hurt you has been torturing me these last few weeks. You've been on my mind nonstop and I felt even worse when you started avoiding me."

Emma's breath hitched in her throat when she heard the melancholy tone in his voice. "I'm sorry about that, Graham. I just... had a lot of stuff going on."

"No, it's fine. I deserved that and more for the way that I treated you. I'm so sorry, Emma. For breaking up with you, for leaving you, for the other girls, for everything. If I could, I would take it all back." Emma could hear a lump forming in his throat as his voice started to tighten. "I don't often regret anything, but I really and honestly regret the way that we left things, and if I could take it back, please know that I would."

Emma had looked away when he mentioned the other girls. She hated the fact that he brought it up, even though he was apologizing for it. She couldn't bare the thought of him with anybody else, hearing him say those words felt like a knife through her heart. She noticed that he'd stopped talking, and looked at him. He wasn't looking at her, but she could see that his eyes were watery, and there was a trail of wetness that went from his eye down to his cheek. Their eyes met, and Emma could feel a tear rolling down her face. She quickly brushed it away, and hoped that he hadn't seen it.

He reached out his hand, and she took it, lacing their fingers together. "I know you would, Graham. But if we try again, I don't want to feel like I can't trust you."

He shook his head, and wiped at the tears that continued to fall. "Emma, if you took me back, I would never let you regret it. I promise. I'd do anything to prove that to you. To regain your trust." He kissed the back of her hand as he moved closer to her on the couch. "Please, Emma."

She looked away again, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to cloud her judgement. "It won't be that easy, Graham. And I don't know if things could ever go back to being the way they were."

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "I know that, Emma. I do. But I'm willing to try."

She tried to smile and wiped her face again. "Me too."

Graham almost hadn't heard her, since her voice had gone weak from trying to hold back her tears. But as soon as she'd said those two words, he smiled at her. He jumped up off of the couch and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you, Emma. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

She pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes, wiping his tears away with her thumbs when she rested her hands on the sides of his face. "I love you, Graham."

He kissed her, holding her close as he moved his mouth down her jaw and neck as he whispered. "I love you, too."

Emma hugged him again, trying to focus more on the butterflies in her stomach and less on the voice in her head that seemed to be repeating the same phrase:

_"Please, don't let me regret this."_

* * *

**So, this was the first taste of our girl Emma, what'd you lot think?**

**I thought this chapter was a good mix of everything— humor, fluff and a touch of angst. **

**Thanks for reading! I really hope you guys liked this chapter. It was just a bit longer than I expected it to be, and I hope there are no complaints.**

**See you next chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed/followed/favorited!**

**Buckle up, my darlings.**

* * *

_Killian awoke slowly. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom. He pulled over his footstool so that he could look at his reflection in the mirror. He stepped up and bared his teeth in the mirror, giggling at the fact that the front two had yet to grow back in. He hastily brushed his remaining teeth, and hopped off of his stool. He was eager to get to the kitchen, because it was Monday, and that meant one thing: pancakes._

_He peeked his head around the corner as he approached the kitchen. He saw his mother standing at the stove, pouring batter onto a griddle and humming to herself. He wasn't sure what that song was called, but it must have been her favorite because she'd been humming for as long as he could remember. _

_Killian always made sure to come downstairs first on mornings like this. He loved to have one-on-one time with his mother without his father or brother interrupting._

_Elizabeth Jones, or Izzie as she preferred to be called, was a beautiful woman. She had long raven hair that fell over her shoulders and down her back in soft waves, grey-blue eyes that always seemed to be sparkling, and a dazzling smile that could bring any man to his knees. She was amazing._

_After a few moments, she stopped humming to flip her pancake. "Good morning, Killy! Have a seat, sweetheart."_

_Killian smiled and walked into the kitchen, climbing up onto a stool by the island. "Good morning, Mum. How did you know that it was me?"_

_She put the finished pancake onto a plate and abandoned the stove to ruffle his hair before kissing him on the forehead. "I have eyes on the back of my head."_

_Killian laughed at her. "No, really, Mum! How?"_

_She sat on the stool next to him and looked him in the eye. "Listen for a second." He did, and he could hear running water upstairs. She smiled. "That's Daddy. He's in the shower, so I knew it couldn't be him. And you know Liam," she said with a laugh, "he won't be getting up until I pull him out of bed myself."_

_She stood again, going over to the cupboard to get a glass, and then over to the fridge to pour some milk into it. She brought the glass over to Killian and sat it in front of him. "Did you have a wonderful dream, love?" She asked as she slipped a straw into the glass and bent it for him._

_Killian scrunched up his face as if he were deep in thought. "Hm." He took the straw into his mouth and began to blow bubbles into the milk until they reached the brim. He stopped blowing and let them all dissipate before blowing again. "I don't remember my dream." He mumbled with a disappointed expression._

_Izzie came around the island to him and hugged him close before bending at the waist to meet him at eye level. "Don't fret, darling. That only means you'll dream twice as wonderfully tonight." She lunged at him, fingers dancing over his ribs and making him wriggle in his seat._

_Killian giggled as she tickled him, gasping for air between hearty chuckles. "Stop it, Mum! You're going to make me fall!"_

_She stopped then, kissing him on the nose. "Don't ever worry. I would catch you. I'll always catch you."_

_He hugged her tightly, wrapping his arms around her neck and turning his face so that it was in her hair. He took a second to breathe her in. She always smelled so flowery and feminine. She was amazing._

_"I love you, Mummy."_

_"I love you too, Killian."_

* * *

Gods, not again. Dammit, when were the memories going to stop hurting? It had been nearly four years, but thinking back to those times, he could barely keep himself together.

Killian reached for his cell phone on the bedside table and checked the time. It was 3:57. He looked at the date, which immediately explained why he dreamt of her.

He smiled sadly to himself before lying back and pulling the covers over his shoulder. He could feel a lump in his throat and tried to swallow it, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. He turned onto his other side to look at the picture of her that hung on his wall. He smiled at her laughing face and spoke three words before sleep finally returned to him: "Happy birthday, Mum."

* * *

His sleep was fitful and turbulent. He awoke multiple times before finally deciding that it was time to get up. She was still on his mind, and when he got in this type of mood, it was best that he not be alone.

He reached for his phone so that he could check the time again. It was now 5:03. He was glad that it was Sunday; he wouldn't be able to sit through an eight-hour school day when he was in this mindset.

Killian rubbed his eyes and unlocked his phone, searching for August in his text messages. He had already resolved that he wasn't going to get anymore sleep, and he didn't want to be by himself. He knew that his father had to be somewhere around the house, but Killian and his father couldn't really maintain a peaceful coexistence for more than a few minutes at a time. It's not that they didn't love each other, because there was not a soul on Earth that Killian loved more than his father, but they were too much alike.

Thomas Jones, or Todd, as he was called affectionately by family and friends, was a devoted father and was a loving husband for the time that he was married. Killian admired that he always put family first. He used to, anyway. Recent events in their lives had driven Todd to spend less time at home and more time at the office, buried in work up to his eyeballs.

Though he never explicitly said so, Killian knew that Todd worked so much as a method of escape from his problems. His work was his distraction, and it was an excellent one. Killian couldn't remember a time when he had been able to sit down with his father for more than a few minutes before he got a beep, or a phone call, or an urgent message calling him back to the office. It made Killian angry that Todd was so distant, but he would probably never be able to tell him how he felt. Their relationship was already tense and fragile, he didn't want to make it worse by exploding on his father.

So, instead of seeking comfort in his only living family, he texted August. He would have texted Jefferson, but he didn't for two reasons: August lived closer, and he was better at listening or giving advice. Over the decade and a half that they'd known each other, August and Killian had been each other's support system. They were always there when the other needed to laugh, talk, vent, or cry. And Killian had a feeling that today, he was going to be doing a lot of crying.

He found August in his texts and typed in a message.

**Hey, man.**

A few minutes later, August texted back. Despite the early hour, Killian wasn't surprised. August woke up early on weekends to practice yoga, a secret both Killian and Jefferson had sworn to take to their graves. Killian read August's text, and could feel a lump forming in his throat.

_Hey. You need me?_

One of the infinite advantages of having a friend for so long was that they knew everything about you _and_ your family. August knew that today was Izzie's birthday, and he knew that Killian would need a friend. Killian was grateful for August in that moment.

**Yeah. How soon can you get here?**

_Already on the way. See you in five._

Killian rolled out of bed and searched his drawers for a tee shirt. He pulled it on and went downstairs to wait for August.

After he descended the stairs, he paused as he passed the closet beneath the stairs. He opened it, and looked around it in search of the thing he was looking for.

When he'd found it, he brought it out of the closet and set it on the floor of the hall. He sat down, leaning up against the opposite wall, and felt the lump in his throat start to dissolve as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

It was a painting. One that had been kept in the dark for far too long. Whenever Killian felt overwhelmed or upset, he pulled it out and sat in front of it, letting the emotions take him away. It was a landscape, oil painted on canvas, of the ocean at sunset— or was it sunrise? He couldn't remember. He'd forgotten. Emotions started to well up again as he tried to wrack his brain as he looked at the painting. It was hopeless. He shook his head to try to get rid of his angry thoughts. Instead, he focused on the piece in front of him. He loved the way it looked so true-to-life. The waves appeared to have been captured just as they were crashing into the golden shore. The sun was a vibrant red-orange, the sky surrounding it a serene shade of pink.

He wiped his eyes when he heard the front door unlocking. August opened it and put his keys in his pocket before joining Killian on the floor.

They sat shoulder-to-shoulder, Killian hugging his knees to his chest, and August sitting with his legs crossed Indian style beneath him. August let the silence linger for a few minutes before he turned his head to look at Killian.

"What are you thinking, Hook?"

Killian cleared his throat, wiping away a tear that had managed to slip past his defenses. "I don't know. I had the dream again."

August nodded knowingly. "The pancake dream?"

Killian nodded as he sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. He was upset with himself for breaking down like this, but he knew that if there were anyone who wouldn't judge him for it, it would be August. "Yeah, that one. Should I even call it a dream? Dreams are fake, and that was real." He looked at August, who was listening and waiting for the right moment to speak again. "I remember that morning like it was yesterday. I was six years old and I can still see her standing at the stove, making pancakes and humming that stupid song."

August laughed sadly, chewing on his bottom lip. "She really did love that song. I swear, I heard her hum it or whistle it or sing it at least once a day."

Killian smiled weakly as he heard the melody drift into his head. "Yeah. She used to sing it to me before bed, too. She had an amazing voice."

August laughed as Killian's statement caused a memory to free itself from his subconscious mind. "Oh my God, I know. I remember she always made sure to sing it when Jeff and I would sleepover, because she knew how it would embarrass you."

Killian grinned at the memory as August reached over to pat him on the shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "She was such a loving person, Hook. Liam, too. I know that you miss them. We all do. But you shouldn't sit here and wallow in your grief. They wouldn't want that. Liam would beat your ass if he could see you right now." August stood up and pulled Killian to stand with him. "Come on, Hook. Let's get outta here."

Killian laughed at August's assessment of his older brother. He was right, so Killian didn't fight it, letting August coax him to his feet knowing that he would only insist until he got his way.

They started to walk up the hall before Killian paused, turning back to the painting he'd left sitting on the floor. "Hold on, August."

August turned, cocking his head to the side. "Oh, yeah. You better put that away before your dad sees it."

Killian picked up the painting and shook his head. "I don't care what he's gonna say. I doubt he'll even want to talk about it." He hung the painting back in its rightful place in the hall. The hook on which it hung originally had not even been taken out of the wall in its absence. He hung it steadily and took a few steps back to make sure that it was level. He nodded, satisfied with his work, and kissed his hand before touching it to the frame. He turned to August, who he'd momentarily forgotten was there, and nodded. "Now we can go."

August put his arm around Killian's shoulder and squeezed him close. "You alright?"

Killian looked at August and sighed. "Not right now, but I will be. Thanks for coming, August." He hugged August tightly with both arms, and August returned the embrace, giving him a few slaps on the back.

"Of course, Hook. That's what friends are for."

* * *

"Where are we going, August?"

August side-eyed Killian as they drove along. "Where do you think we're going? All that talk about pancakes has got me on edge."

Killian laughed at his friend, finally leaning back in his chair as the sun began to shine. "Granny's?"

August nodded, sliding his sunglasses up his nose. "Granny's."

August parked the car in his usual spot and he and Killian walked into the diner. They talked idly as they made their way through the restaurant to their usual booth. They sat down and started to peruse their menus when they heard an exaggerated groan coming in their direction. Killian looked up and beamed mischievously as Granny approached their table. "Good morning, Granny!"

"Oh, don't give me that, Jones." She hissed, glaring at him over the glasses that were always perched on the tip of her nose. "You boys confused? You know it's Sunday, right? The weekends are my vacation from you hell-raisers."

They boys laughed at Granny's harsh words. "Hell-raisers?" August repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration, Granny?"

The old woman snorted indignantly, shaking her head. "Not when it comes to you three." Her expression changed, her eyes narrowing as she looked back and forth between August and Killian. "Speaking of which, where is the third musketeer this morning?"

"He should be in shortly," August stated matter-of-factly. "We texted him on the way here."

"Oh, joy." Granny muttered as she turned her back to walk away.

"Hey, Granny, aren't you going to take our orders?" Killian called after her as she continued on.

She didn't stop walking as she responded, "Nope. I've got people for that now."

Killian looked at August quizzically. He wasn't looking forward to missing out on his cherished quality time with Granny, but he was glad that she'd finally hired some help. She worked way too hard for her own good. His train of thought was interrupted by Jefferson, who approached their booth and threw himself in next to August, bumping him roughly with his shoulder as he purposefully threw his body around, causing August to complain beneath his crushing weight.

"Ow! Hey! Watch it, you moron!" August grunted, trying to push Jefferson off.

"Hey, assholes. Thanks for starting without me." Jefferson huffed in a childish tone as he righted himself, sitting upright at August's side.

Killian rolled his eyes. "Gods, Jeff. You are the whiniest person I know."

Jefferson's expression softened and he sighed loudly. "Sorry, man. How're you feeling?"

Killian nodded his acceptance of Jefferson's apology before he spoke. "A little shaken, but it's nothing."

Jefferson smiled tightly and decided to change the subject. "Did Granny already come around?"

Killian nodded as August spoke. "Yup, but she didn't take our order. Apparently she's hired some help."

Jefferson raised his eyebrows and nodded in a look that seemed to say 'not bad.' "Well, this 'hired help' better come around soon, because I'm starving."

Killian was about to nod in agreement when someone caught his eye. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Emma rush into the diner, throwing off her red leather jacket and replacing it with an apron. She tied her hair up into a quick ponytail and grabbed a pen and a pad before running back into the kitchen. He heard her shout something about needing to leave early for band practice before she reappeared in the dining room.

Killian smiled at the mention of her band. He had heard them play at various parties, the hosts of which always bragged about their attendance. In their high school, your party was no good unless you had live music. And Emma's band was as good as it got. Of course, he never actually realized that the girl playing the guitar was Emma Swan, but once two and two came together, he liked the idea even more.

Emma smiled as she approached the trio, pulling her pen and pad out of her apron pocket. "Morning, boys. Sorry about the wait. What can I get you to drink?"

Killian and Jefferson answered her in unison and with equal enthusiasm. "Coffee."

August laughed at them as if he were an amused parent, shaking his head. "I'll take a glass of chocolate milk, please." Killian always laughed inwardly at August's refusal to grow up. If it were anybody else, it probably would have annoyed him.

Emma nodded, and turned to go before Killian called her back. "Swan?"

Killian saw her shoulders sag marginally before she turned around. "Yes, Jones?"

"How've you been?"

Emma raised an eyebrow, and he could see the skepticism behind the move. "Just fine," she paused and gave a curt nod, "thank you for asking."

Killian smiled at her, enjoying the way he seemed to be getting under her skin. "You've certainly been making yourself scarce these past few weeks."

She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "Did you ever stop to think that there may have been a reason for that?"

August and Jefferson started to snicker, but were silenced immediately when Killian shot them an intimidating glare. "What a pity. I for one have missed our little... chats." As he finished his statement, he let his gaze rove up and down her body before returning to her eyes.

Emma seemed unaffected by his actions, however, and snorted before turning back to the kitchen.

Instead of calling her back again, Killian let her walk away, fully intent on continuing their conversation later.

After boys ate their breakfast and paid their bills, they remained in their booth, talking back and forth amongst themselves.

"So, Hook..."

Killian's daydreaming was interrupted by Jefferson, who was looking at him with a somewhat triumphant expression. "Yes, mate?"

"How would you say that things are coming along with our wager?"

Killian rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. "I'd say that things are going according to plan."

Jefferson raised his eyebrows at Killian, clearly nonplussed. "According to plan?"

"Yes, Jeff that's what I said." Killian tried to keep himself from getting impatient, but he wanted to know just what Jefferson was playing at. "Why do you ask?"

It was Jefferson's turn to sip his coffee now, and he did so in a slow and deliberate way that told Killian that he was stalling.

"Jeff?"

Jefferson swallowed, a tiny smile on his face. He tried to hide it, but Killian had known him for far too long to let him get away with anything like that.

"Tell me now, or I will beat it out of you."

Jefferson shook his head at Killian. "Now, now, Hook. There is no need for such hostility. I was only wondering how you planned to get Emma alone. What, with her boyfriend in the picture, and all."

Killian's eyebrows raised. He was honestly caught off-guard. And if he wasn't so surprised by Jefferson's statement, he would have punched him in the face for acting like such a pompous ass. "_Boyfriend?_ Who is she dating?"

August groaned. "Jesus, Hook. If I didn't know you, I would swear you just transferred to this school last week. You don't know anything about anybody." He sighed, shaking his head. "Emma has been dating Graham Humbert on and off since like, Sophomore year."

"Sophomore year?" Killian repeated. He turned his gaze to Jefferson, a slight smolder of anger present in his features. "So, you set me up, did you? You knew that she had a boyfriend, but you still made the bet. That, Jeff, is terrible form."

Jefferson shifted uneasily in his seat. "Hey, man. She wasn't dating the dude when we started the bet, okay? From what I heard, they just got back together like, yesterday."

Killian took a minute to consider the news he'd just been dealt. "Hm. I really don't see it as an issue. Like you said, August, they've been dating on and off. All I've got to do is wait until they're 'off' again, and make my move. Simple as that."

August gave him an incredulous look. "'Simple as that?' That's all? You expect her to start dating you as soon as she and Graham break up again? _If_ they break up again, that is."

"Not if. _When_." Killian corrected. "Once you break up the first time, things are never quite the same. Quite frankly, they get worse and worse with each successive reunion. And judging by the way you've labeled their relationship as 'on-and-off' I'd be willing to guess that they've broken up more than once, yeah?"

His friends nodded and he continued. "Precisely. Once they break up, all I need do is provide our dear girl with a shoulder to cry on, maybe a few jokes, perhaps a caring embrace or two. Once the seeds have been sown, the rest will fall into place."

August shook his head at Killian, while Jefferson's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Sounds promising." Jefferson all but squealed.

"Get a grip, Jeff." August reprimanded him before returning his attention to Killian. "You're playing with fire, Hook. And there is only one outcome: serious burns."

Killian waved off his friend's warning. "Don't worry, Auggie. I can handle myself."

August laughed outright before nudging Jefferson in the side, indicating his intent to leave. He rose from the table before he turned back to his friends, walking backwards toward the exit. "It's not you I'm worried about." He gave a small salute before turning around and walking through the door.

Jefferson scoffed and rolled his eyes before turning back to Killian. "He's such a drama queen."

Killian nodded in agreement. "And he was my ride."

Jefferson laughed as he rose from the table. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Killian followed Jefferson to the exit before he stopped. "Hey, wait for me in the car, would you?"

Jefferson quirked up an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure. Don't be too long in here."

Killian waited until Jefferson left and approached Emma at the bar. He sat down on one of the stools and waited for her to notice him. When she looked up at him, he held her gaze before flashing her a dazzling smile. "Hey, beautiful."

Emma kept her expression blank as she walked over to him, arms folded across her chest. "Hello. Do you need something else?"

Killian cocked his head to the side. "Well, that all depends on how you define need. I came over here to—"

He was interrupted when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He took it out to look at the screen. It was his father. He looked at Emma, flashing her a quick smile. "Terribly sorry, love. Give me a sec?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders and he hopped off of his stool to answer the phone.

"Dad?"

"Killian, get home. _Now_."

Killian cringed at the imperative tone in his father's voice as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, turning around to find Emma still waiting for him.

"As much as I hate to cut this short,— and trust me, love, I do— I must be going now. Ta-ta."

He turned to leave as she called him back.

"Hey, wait up! What were you gonna say?"

He gave her a wink and a devilish smile. "Another time, love."

He exited the diner and walked out into the parking lot to find Jefferson.

* * *

Killian returned home to find his father waiting for him in the kitchen.

"Hey, Dad." He offered, although the way his father's grey eyes were piercing him made him somewhat uneasy. "Something the matter?"

Todd looked at Killian in silence for a few more seconds before he opened his mouth. "You hung it up. Again."

Killian sighed as he shrugged out of his jacket. "Yes, Dad, I did. What's so wrong with that?"

Todd shook his head and ran his hand through his curly brown hair. "Nothing, Killian. I just—" He stammered, unsure of what to say. "You know how I feel about that painting."

Killian walked closer to his father, glaring at him with his arms crossed over his chest. "Yes, Dad. Very much the same way that I feel about it. The only difference being that I know how to deal with my emotions instead of letting them control me and drive away everyone that I love."

Todd sighed, rubbing his eyes in a tired move. "Not today, Killian. Please."

Killian's anger was trying to force itself over the edge, but he tried his damnedest to hold it back. "Why not today, Dad? She was a _person_. She lived, she loved, she was real and now she's gone. It's okay to not know what to do. Could you please just talk to me for once instead of running away?" Killian hadn't expected the rush of emotion that had caused his voice to break as he spoke. He quickly blinked back the tears that he could feel stinging the back of his eyes. "Please, Dad."

Todd stood looking at Killian with his hands on his hips, not saying a word. He turned around and walked away from Killian. Before he'd even taken three steps, his phone started to ring. "Hello? Yes, this is Todd Jones. How can I help you?" Killian heard him answer it before he walked out of earshot.

Killian was left standing alone and completely dumbfounded. All this exchange did was serve as a reminder of why he avoided his father. He went into his room, slamming the door behind him. He laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he felt the tears begin to flow.

As he laid in the silence of his room, he could hear a song starting to play in the back of his mind. Of course, it was _her_ song. He let himself get lost in the music and lyrics, imagining her smiling face singing the words to him as she sat by his bedside.

_"Why do birds suddenly appear_

_Every time you are near?_

_Just like me, they long to be_

_Close to you..."_

* * *

The next morning when Killian awoke for school, his father had already left the house for work. He wasn't surprised. Especially after the way they left things yesterday. Todd Jones wasn't really a big fan of confrontation, even if it meant constantly walking on eggshells around his own son.

Killian hopped on his bike and left off for Granny's. When he arrived, he parked his bike and saw Jefferson's car waiting in the parking lot, which told him that his friends were already there. He entered the diner and was greeted with the sight of August and Jefferson arguing back and forth like toddlers, or maybe an old married couple. Honestly, both descriptions were equally accurate.

"No way, man." August stated calmly, sipping from his glass of orange juice before setting it back down gently.

"Yuh-huh!" Jefferson belted indignantly, eyebrows knitted together in evident frustration.

"It would never happen." August was starting to smile now, clearly enjoying the way that his friend's resolve was crumbling.

"Just— shut up, August. You're stupid." Jefferson snapped, folding his arms across his chest and sinking back in his chair.

"Oh, very mature, Jefferson." August lauded sarcastically as he clapped his hands in mock-praise. "Thank you for your stellar input. Honestly, I'm riveted."

Killian ran his hand through his helmet hair and took the seat next to August, after putting his helmet in the seat next to Jefferson. "What the bloody hell could you two possibly have to be fighting about this early in the morning?"

Jefferson huffed, not bothering to look at Killian as he spoke. "August is just being a jerk, as usual."

August rolled his eyes before speaking. "Yup. Totally accurate, Jeff." He turned his head to look at Killian. "Don't worry about him. You feeling any better today?"

Killian smiled when he heard the barest hint of concern slip through August's relaxed demeanor. He nodded and ruffled his own hair once more for good measure. "Yeah, thanks."

August's smile was somewhat shy as he nodded and turned back to Jefferson who was lost in his own world. "Oh, come on, Jeff!"

As August and Jefferson started up their conversation anew, Killian felt content. Maybe he and his father didn't have the closest relationship, but he was fine with that for now. Especially when he had great friends like these. Friends who cared about him more than they did themselves, which was certainly more than he could say for his father.

* * *

**Tell me what you think about our first glimpse into Killian's home life!**

**And, if anybody's wondering, Izzie's song is "Close to You" by the Carpenters. If you've never heard it, you should check it out. It's beautiful.**

**And I know what some of you are gonna say: there wasn't enough Killian/Emma interaction, right? Don't worry, good things come to those who wait!**

**Thank you all for reading, I must say that the responses I got last chapter were honestly encouraging, so please, keep up the great work and I'll see you lot next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, let me just preface this chapter by telling you all how great you are for being patient with me! I can't believe it's been_ a month_ since the last update. *Hangs head in shame* **

**I PROMISE I WILL NEVER LET IT GET THIS BAD AGAIN! **

**Thank you for sticking around, I wish I could hug each and every one of you.**

**Also, many thanks to all who read/reviewed/followed/favorited!**

* * *

After finishing her shift at Granny's, Emma walked through the front door, leaving her keys and jacket on a hook in the foyer. The grandfather clock by the stairs read 2:29.

She could hear chatter coming from someplace further in and followed the sound. It lead her down to the basement where she found David, Mary Margaret, Ruby, and Victor talking and laughing happily.

The layout of the basement was simple. There was the main living area, which was furnished with a few bookshelves, a low coffee table, a TV, a large sectional, a love seat, two arm chairs and a few scattered beanbag chairs. There was also a breakfast bar that had a few stools and a fridge just beyond it.

Further off from the main room, there were a few smaller rooms, mostly used for storage. The largest of the extra rooms was where they held their band practice. It was private, the walls were soundproof, and it was the only room big enough to house Ruby's drums.

The conversation didn't stop when Emma entered the room. Victor and Ruby were sitting together on the love seat, Mary Margaret was lounging on one of the beanbag chairs and David was sprawled out on the couch. Emma greeted everyone before throwing herself down into the couch next to David. He put his arm around her and kissed her on the crown of her head. "Rough day at work?"

Instead of answering him, Emma groaned and laid back in the couch, putting her legs in his lap as she stared at the ceiling. "Not particularly. Just way too long. I started at six this morning." She rubbed her face with an open hand. "I'm just glad we have practice today so I didn't have to stay there until dinner time."

In unison, Mary Margaret and Ruby made the same 'aw, poor baby' face. David rolled his eyes at them as Victor spoke. "It couldn't have been _that_ bad. What's the matter, Emma? The Sunday brunch crowd not as mellow as you'd expected?"

Emma sat up and shot Victor a death glare. "Oh, no. The brunch crowd was super. What wasn't super was the lunch rush, which brought in a softball team, a preschool field trip, an after-church luncheon, and a gaggle of hungover frat boys, one of whom puked all over the bathroom. And before you ask: no, it wasn't _anywhere_ near the toilet. That sound bad enough, Victor?"

The whole room was silent, and Victor threw up his hands in mock-surrender. "Alright, Swan. You win this round."

"You're damned right I do." Emma grumbled as she threw herself back into the couch with a sigh.

Everyone laughed now, and Mary Margaret moved from her beanbag chair to one of the arm chairs. She sat down in it and turned, so that she could drape her legs over one of the arms and rest her back against the other. "We don't have to practice today if you're too tired, honey."

Emma waved off her friend's concern with a flick of her wrist. "No, no. This is what I need. Besides, it's Sunday. This is when we practice."

"We could make an exception for one week, Em—"

"Mary Margaret, I'm fine. Okay?" Emma sat up and looked at her friend.

Mary Margaret shrugged with a sigh. "Alright. If you insist."

Victor spoke up next, taking on the facade of a disgruntled customer and perfectly breaking the tension. "Good, because I decided to wear my Mirror, Mirror tee shirt today. So, I better get a good show." His comment was made even funnier for the fact that such tee shirts were nonexistent.

Almost in unison, the other four turned to him with a resounding "Shut up, Whale." They all laughed and funneled into the back room where they took to tuning up their instruments and getting themselves ready.

They'd been playing their instruments together almost as long as they'd been friends. But it wasn't until a few years ago that they realized that made them a band. At least, a band without a name.

* * *

_"Okay, so how are we gonna pick the name?" Ruby asked in a cheerful voice._

_Emma, David, and Mary Margaret all looked at each other and shrugged._

_"How about we all think of a name. In one week, we'll draw straws. Whoever gets the longest one picks the band name. That sound fair?"_

_Emma nodded. David always knew how to resolve any conflict. (Well, except for the rare few he started.)_

_So, in one week's time they reconvened at Granny's and piled into a booth._

_"Did everyone come up with a name?" David asked as he looked at the three girls who all nodded in response. "Alright."_

_David looked around and flagged Granny over. She approached the table with four straws clutched tightly in one fist. "Alright, kids. You're gonna take one straw. Longest one wins, right, Davey?"_

_David looked at Granny and nodded. "That's right, Granny."_

_The four kids exchanged somewhat nervous looks before they all picked the straw they thought would be the winner._

_Ruby drew first, and huffed disappointedly when she saw that her straw was only about two inches long._

_Emma had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at her friend's expense. "It's okay, Ruby." Emma reached out to Granny next, and picked a straw that seemed to be double the size of Ruby's. She scrunched up her face, not sure if that was a good sign or not._

_David picked the next straw, which was also longer than Ruby's, but it was shorter than Emma's. _

_Emma shifted giddily in her seat. They were one straw away from finding out if she or Mary Margaret was going to be the one to name the band. And she prayed that it was going to be her. God only knows what awful name Mary Margaret might have picked out._

_The Rainbows, or the Unicorns, or maybe the Butterfly Kisses._

_Emma cringed as she waited with bated breath for Mary Margaret to take the last straw._

_Mary Margaret reached for it and pulled it from Granny's hand._

_Damn._

_Damn, damn, damn._

_Mary Margaret won._

_Emma slammed her head down onto the table with an exaggerated groan. "Oh, god."_

_Mary Margaret clapped excitedly and bounced in her seat._

_Granny shook her head. "I believe my work here is done."_

_David nodded as the woman walked away. "Thanks for your help, Granny." He turned to Mary Margaret who still had a mile-wide grin on her face. "So, what's our band name?"_

_She stilled and took a deep breath in, then out. "Okay, well. We are all aware that my favorite fairy tale is Snow White, right?" The other three nodded. "I picked the name Mirror, Mirror." They looked blankly at her for a few moments. "You know, like 'Mirror, mirror, on the wall...'?"_

_In unison, the other three exhaled an 'ohhh' while Mary Margaret looked at them expectantly. "Well, what do you think?"_

_David put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. "It's great, Mary Margaret." He turned to Emma and Ruby. "Isn't it, girls?"_

_Ruby smiled brightly. "Of course. Great pick!" Ruby looked at Emma and kicked her under the table._

_Emma whipped her head around to give Ruby a withering glare before turning to Mary Margaret. "Well, it could _definitely_ be worse."_

* * *

Once everyone was all tuned up, they started in with their usual set. They didn't really stick to any genre over another. They played what they wanted, the same way they'd been playing together for years.

The time that they spent together as a group was really important to Emma. Watching everyone play their instruments always made her feel like she was seeing a side of her friends that nobody else ever got to see. Except for when they played at parties, which was always fun.

Every member of the band had their own talent that they lent to the group dynamic. David, for instance, had taught himself to play the bass when he was twelve. He'd kept at it through all of its frustrations, and now Emma would swear that he could give Paul McCartney a run for his money.

When Ruby sat behind her drums, she transformed into another person. A person whose talents were like a combination of Travis Barker, Keith Moon and Animal from the Muppets. Once she was in the zone, there was no stopping her. Sometimes, if she was in the right mood, she could break her drumsticks with minimal effort. That was always a source of teasing from the rest of the group, but nobody really minded it. It kept Ruby unique, and that was something they hoped that she'd always stay.

Mary Margaret didn't really play an instrument, per se. She was their lead singer, but if it was totally necessary, she would bring in her keyboard to fill out a number. She'd been playing the piano since she was five, so she was proficient in anything from Beethoven, to Bach, to Jerry Lee Lewis or Billy Joel. They didn't have a need for a keyboardist on every song, but when they did, they were always glad to give Mary Margaret a chance to show off her talent. But even when she didn't play, people knew that she was plenty talented from her singing voice alone. The way that she sounded was totally unique. It was pleasant and soulful; youthful, yet experienced, lending itself to any song she chose.

While Emma and David were mostly backup vocalists, they'd been known to take center stage if they ever felt the need to. Emma didn't mind singing lead, it was just that Mary Margaret's voice was so different from hers. David had nothing to worry about, since he was a guy there was nobody to be comparing his voice to. Emma didn't think she was a bad singer by any means, she just didn't like the thought of there being any comparison between her talent and Mary Margaret's.

So, she mostly stuck to guitar, which she'd been playing for only seven years or so, but she could admit that she was an above average talent. She'd mostly taught herself, picking up pieces here and there from the internet or other friends who played. She also played the piano, but it was only to help with her songwriting. She'd been writing songs longer than she'd been making music. She could remember jotting lyrics down on any free scrap of paper that she could find, then stuffing it into her pockets so that nobody would find it. Songwriting had always been a means of escape for Emma, and it was something that she cherished.

While she enjoyed sharing her songs with her friends, they never performed them live. Ever. No matter how many times the group would try to talk her into it, she'd always refused. It just seemed much too personal for her taste.

Victor sat on the floor in front of them, watching with rapt attention as they played song after song. He wasn't an official member of the band, but he came to their practices every Sunday and was always at every party they played. He prided himself on being their number one fan.

Emma always laughed at that. If he wasn't dating the drummer, she would swear he was more like an obsessed groupie.

They wrapped up the last number, letting the notes ring out in the air as they looked at one another.

David nodded at the group as he walked across the room to put his bass back into its case.

Victor, as usual, jumped to his feet, clapping enthusiastically. "Bravo, bravo! Encore, encore!"

Emma rolled her eyes at him as she set her guitar back into its stand. "Not tonight, buddy."

Victor gave a defeated sigh before crossing the room. He offered Ruby his hand and helped her up as she rose from her seated position behind the drums.

Emma smiled at the gesture. It was totally chivalrous and sweet, but not something she'd want for herself. Well, to be honest, she never really considered what she wanted. Not in that context at least. Graham had never done anything like that for her, and she didn't realize that she was missing it until just then.

"But, really, you guys." Victor interrupted her train of thought. "You sounded great just now. Better than last week."

Mary Margaret giggled and patted him on the shoulder. "Victor, honey, you say that every week."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, maybe. But that doesn't make it any less true!"

David was the first to leave the back room, heading back out into the main area and throwing himself down into the couch. "Who's calling this week?"

It was another tradition of theirs that they have pizza for dinner after every practice.

"I'll do it!" Ruby singsonged as she waltz into the room and plopped down on the love seat.

After the pizza was ordered, they spent the time talking and chatting, just glad to be together.

About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Emma offered, rising from her beanbag chair. "That was pretty fast."

She bounded up the stairs to the front door, taking them two at a time. When she reached it, she opened it without looking out. "Hold on just a second, I forgot to get a tip." She turned away to ask David for a few bucks.

The chuckle from the other side of the door made her stop in her tracks and she turned around.

She had been mistaken. It wasn't the pizza, it was Graham.

"I didn't think I'd be getting paid for coming to see my girlfriend."

Emma rolled her eyes and walked back over to the open door. "Shut up and get in here."

He quickly obeyed, stepping over the threshold and taking her into his arms. He held her tightly by the waist, smiling into her neck when she wrapped her arms around him. "Hi."

She pulled back, smiling brightly at him. "Hey." She leaned in and kissed him briefly on the lips. "Come on. Let's go downstairs." She slammed the door and lead Graham down into the basement where everyone else sat in the same places she'd left them.

"Where's the pizza?" David whined when she reappeared empty-handed.

"It wasn't the pizza guy, it was Graham." Emma laughed when the group gave a chorus of 'boo's' in response.

"Sorry to disappoint you, guys. Geez. It sounds like you all love that pizza more than you love me." They all laughed as he took off his jacket, draping it over the back of an empty chair.

He settled on the other end of the sectional and Emma sat next to him. She sat Indian style in the couch, and smiled when she felt his hand on her knee. She took it in hers, lacing their fingers together.

"So, what's new, guys?" Graham asked, looking out at the other people in the room.

Ruby, who always got a little on-edge when she was hungry, all but snarled at Graham in response. "I think it's best you refrain from small talk until the pizza gets here."

Mary Margaret giggled and slapped Ruby playfully on the shoulder. "Oh, hush."

Before Emma could reprimand Ruby on her behavior, the doorbell rang for the second time. Emma rolled her eyes when every head turned to look at her. "I'm not getting it again."

Ruby gave an exaggerated groan. "Fine. I'll get it. Since _somebody_ wants to be lazy."

Emma wanted to roll her eyes at Ruby's theatrics, but she didn't. When Ruby was in one of her hunger-induced moods, it was best to just let her be.

Ruby reappeared a few minutes later with a pile of napkins and paper plates stacked on top of two pizza boxes. "Alright, kids. Soup's on."

She walked into the middle of the room and set the pizzas down on the coffee table. She sat Indian style at the table and everyone else gathered around, grabbing plates and napkins as they settled on the floor.

They ate and talked, laughing at each other's lame jokes and enjoying the each other's company.

"Alright, guys." David called attention to himself before biting into his fourth slice.

"Yes, David?" Emma looked at him and tried not to appear too disturbed by his eating habits. Even though she'd known him for most of her life, she was always amazed by David's capacity for food. She assumed it had something to do with his athleticism, but she more often than not tried not to think about it.

"What do you say we have a good, old-fashioned family game night this week?"

Emma smiled at David's suggestion. Game nights were something that they'd been doing for a long time, and even though they didn't get to have them as often as they used to, everyone still enjoyed them when the opportunity arose. It started out with just the four of them, but once Emma and Ruby got boyfriends, they were included into the "family" as well.

Ruby clapped her hands excitedly, bouncing up and down. "Yes, David, that's a _perfect_ idea!" She smiled brightly and looked around the table at the rest of the group who all smiled in agreement.

"Great. Where are we gonna have it?" Mary Margaret asked, blotting off the slice of pizza she'd just picked up.

"We had it here last time," Emma reminded, "so it's gotta be at one of your houses." She finished, pointing back and forth at David and Mary Margaret.

They both looked at each other before Mary Margaret spoke again. "Well, my dad is going out of town tomorrow night, and I can't have people over."

Emma had to stifle a laugh. Mary Margaret was so innocent that it was adorable. When almost any other teenager would take that opportunity to have as many people over as they could, she was actually content to follow her father's rules.

"Then I guess I'll see you guys at my house on Tuesday night." David spoke up. "I'm sure King George won't have a problem with it." He rolled his eyes as she wiped his face with a napkin.

Emma could see the tension in David's shoulders when he mentioned his father. George Nolan was not necessarily an easy man to get along with, even if you were his only son. George was overbearing, controlling and manipulative. Traits that, thankfully, skipped a generation. David was nothing like his father, and that was often a source of friction between the two. George was the District Attorney, and often resorted to playing dirty, if it meant that he would win any case. He tried to control David, forcing him into football, making sure his grades stayed high, and constantly reminding him of his responsibilities. While David would have no issue doing anything that George asked, he only wanted to be appreciated. More as a son, and less as a "reflection of the Nolan name."

"Well, if he does, we can always have it here. Again." Emma smiled compassionately and squeezed David's shoulder.

He smiled at her and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I don't think he will."

Emma shrugged and turned back to her pizza. "Alright. I'll bring Monopoly!"

A chorus of groans sounded from everyone around the table.

"No way, Emma," Victor whined, throwing a balled-up napkin at her, "whenever we play that game, you win and everybody ends up hating each other."

Emma laughed. "It's not my fault you guys aren't as good at it as I am!"

"Yeah right!" Ruby interrupted. "You are bringing that game over my dead body. This is the first game night we've had in a while and I will _not_ have you ruin it with that god-awful game. Understood?"

Emma threw up her hands. "Fine, I'll bring Operation since you babies can't handle a real game."

Graham chuckled softly before putting his arm around her and kissing her cheek. He held his lips by her ear and dropped his voice down to a whisper. "What do you say you and I go play a game of our own?"

Emma raised her eyebrows in mock-surprise. "Why, Mr. Humbert, what_ever_ do you mean?"

Graham laughed and rolled his eyes. "Keep playing coy, Emma. Just wait until I get you alone."

She felt a chill run down her spine at the tone in his voice. It wasn't like they'd never had sex before, but they just got back together. Was that the only reason that he'd missed her? He missed having regular sex?

Emma shook the thought from her head and plastered a quick smile on her face. "Uh, I think I better start with the clean up."

Graham made a confused face as she sprang up from the table.

She grabbed her empty plate before scurrying up the stairs and out of the basement.

Ruby and Mary Margaret shared a quizzical look before they both rose from the table and followed Emma into the kitchen.

"Um, Emma?" Mary Margaret called warily as she approached her friend from behind. "Are you alright, honey?"

Emma had her back to them, with the palms of her hands resting on the cool marble of the kitchen counter. "Yup. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Emma's voice sounded nonchalant, but Ruby could hear the tension in her voice. "Emma, come on. You practically ran from the table just now."

Emma sighed and turned around, tucking her bangs behind her ear. "It's Graham."

Ruby furrowed her brow as her voice took on an angry tone. "Did he say something to you?"

Emma held up her hand. "Chill out, Ruby. It's no big deal."

Mary Margaret walked up to Emma and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Emma, it clearly upset you. Big deal or not, it could be something that you need to address." She moved her hand downward and began to rub soothing circles into Emma's back. "What did he say?"

Emma sighed. "Nothing. He just implied that he wanted to... you know..." She struggled against the blush that she could feel creeping up her neck. It was funny, she'd been friends with these girls for years and years, yet talking about something like this still gave her pause.

"Have sex, Emma?" Ruby filled in the blank with a deadpan expression. "You know, you're not going to burst into flames if you say it."

Emma laughed weakly at Ruby's words. "Shut up, Ruby. It's not like I have a problem with him wanting it, we've been together for two years." Her mind wanted to remind her that they had broken up twice in those two years, but she pushed the thought away. "Pretty much."

Ruby knitted her brow and moved to stand on Emma's other side. "So, what the issue?"

"We just got back together, Ruby. I know that he's missed me, or whatever, but it just doesn't feel like the right time for that. Not yet, anyway." She buried her face in her hands as she let out a frustrated groan. "And then there's that part of me that wonders if that was all he missed."

Mary Margaret sighed and hugged Emma close. "Emma, what would make you think that?"

Emma pulled away and shrugged her shoulders. " I dunno, I just_—_"

"That's not really the problem, here. Is it?" Mary Margaret had a knowing tone in her voice that was all too sure.

Damn. Damn it all. Why does she have to be so fucking _insightful_?

Emma heaved a deep breath and leveled her shoulders. "Fine. Maybe it's not."

Ruby tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. "Well...?"

Emma decided to get it out in one breath, hoping that when she was through speaking the ground would just open up and swallow her whole. "I've only ever been with him. But he's been with a bunch of other girls since we broke up. What if I'm not as... _good_ as he remembers? What if the last girl he was with does it better than I do and he leaves me again?"

Ruby stepped in front of Emma, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Emma Swan. Don't sell yourself short, okay? You are one hot bitch."

Emma wanted to roll her eyes at Ruby's choice of words.

"I'm serious, Em. So what if Graham decided to whore around when you were broken up? He must have missed _something_ about being with you, or he'd still be out there, scraping the bottom of the barrel. He loves you, and he would be a total fucking moron to even _think_ about comparing you to anybody else. You know why?"

Emma sighed before answering. "Why, Ruby?'

"Because," Ruby said with a smile, "you are one of a kind, Emma. If he can't see that, it's his loss."

Mary Margaret pulled the two in for a group hug. "Agreed."

Emma smiled and hugged her friends close. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you guys. I love you."

Her friends released her and they all three looked toward the basement stairs as they heard steps approaching. David appeared at the top of the stairs with the two empty pizza boxes in his hands.

"Graham said you were cleaning up?"

Emma, who had almost forgotten her little white lie, nodded and took the boxes from David. "Thanks for your help."

He gave her a questioning stare as she put the boxes on the counter and brushed past him and back down the stairs.

He watched her walk away before turning back to the other girls. "Is she alright?"

Mary Margaret and Ruby looked at each other before Ruby answered him. "Yup. She's fine."

Ruby then left the kitchen and David looked back and forth between Mary Margaret and the open basement door. "Am I missing something?"

She hugged him tightly by the waist. "Don't worry about it."

He eyed her warily before he shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, then. Let's get ready to leave."

They went down the stairs to the basement where the other two couples had resumed their seats on the furniture as opposed to the floor.

"We're gonna head out now, guys." David announced when they got into the room. He picked up his jacket from where it was strewn over the back of the couch. He put it on and adjusted the collar before going into the back room to retrieve his bass.

Mary Margaret made her rounds, hugging and kissing everybody goodbye, one by one. When she got to Emma, Emma hugged her tightly. "Thanks for your help, Mary Margaret."

Mary Margaret sighed contentedly as she rubbed Emma's back in a circular pattern. "Of course, honey. See you at school tomorrow."

David emerged from the back room, his bass locked into its carrying case. He high-fived Victor and hugged Ruby tightly before repeating the same goodbye with Graham and Emma. "Bye, guys."

As David and Mary Margaret left the basement, Victor rose from where he was sitting. "I guess it's time I head out too, sweetheart." He turned and held his hand out to Ruby, pulling her to stand so that he could embrace her properly. He looped his arms around her waist and held her close to his body.

When she moved to kiss him, Victor turned his head so that she kissed his cheek. "Ruby..." He whined, his cheeks flushing bright red as he tipped his head in Emma and Graham's direction.

Emma stifled a laugh at Victor's shyness. She always found it interesting that he was so averse to public displays of affection. She could understand it, but still found it odd. In an endearing sort of way.

Ruby heaved a sigh, although there was a smile on her face. "Fine. Allow me to walk you to the door, Mr. Whale."

He smiled and took her left hand, placing it in the crook of his right elbow. "Very well, Miss Lucas. Allow _me_ to lead the way."

Ruby giggled as he walked her out of the room and up the stairs.

As Emma watched them walk away, she felt an awkward pang of something unfamiliar in her chest. And it felt oddly akin to jealousy.

She shook the thought from her head when she felt Graham's hand on her knee. She turned to look at him, and saw that he was watching her with a tender look in his eye.

He leaned in to her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. "Emma."

She sighed when she felt his mouth on her neck, creeping its way up toward her lips. "Graham..." She tried to hide the slight tremble she could feel in the back of her throat. "Ruby will be back down here any minute."

She felt him smile against her neck as he moved in closer, almost hovering over her body. "Don't worry about her. I'm sure it's nothing she hasn't seen before." He kissed her neck and then her jaw, humming softly to himself as he kissed the corner of her mouth. He kissed her lips tenderly as he eased her onto her back. He moved his hand to the side of her face, cradling her head as he deepened the kiss, groaning into her mouth.

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing against his lips when he finally moved away from her mouth and back to her neck. She felt him nipping at the skin there, and tried to stifle a moan when she felt his tongue flick out to taste her. She felt his hand snake between them, and froze when she realized that he was reaching for the button on her jeans.

"Graham, wait." She panted as she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him back and sit upright.

Graham halted immediately, moving to sit up so that he could look her in the face. "What's the matter?"

Emma ran a hand through her hair, hoping she didn't look as wrecked as she felt. "I think we should wait before we... you know."

Graham sighed, scrubbing at his face with an open hand. "I don't get it."

_Shit._

This is _exactly_ the conversation she didn't want to be having.

"Graham, we just got back together. I don't want to ruin it by rushing into sex too soon."

He looked at her with a pensive expression that made her wonder what he was thinking. "Emma, what's this really about?"

Emma was momentarily caught off-guard by his question. "Stop it, Graham. I just don't feel comfortable with this yet." She noticed a flicker of hurt in his eyes, and scrambled to correct herself. "I mean, the sex part. Not the entire relationship. I'm more than elated to be with you again, but sometimes I'm just not... sure."

He moved closer to her, reaching for her hand. "Go on, Emma. I know there's more than that."

She smiled weakly, forgetting some of her tension as she took a second to appreciate the fact that he knew her so well. "I just don't want you to run out on me again."

"Emma." He moved and rested his back against the arm of the couch, pulling her to sit between his open legs. She rested her back against his chest, laying the back of her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I know that this can't be easy for you. Trying to forget everything." He let the implications of that last sentence hang in the air.

_Everything that I did._

He didn't have to say it, she knew exactly what he meant.

"I should have taken a second to consider how you're feeling." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer.

"It's alright, Graham—"

"No, Emma, it's not. And I feel terrible having to even say this, but I'm not just here for the sex, okay? I love you. And I'm going to wait as long as I need to until you're ready."

He kissed her on the back of her head and she smiled. "Thank you, Graham."

He hugged her tightly and sighed contentedly before reaching into his back pocket to check the time on his phone. It was 9:16.

"As much as I hate to leave you, Emma, I think I better head out now."

She gave an exaggerated groan and sat up so that he could squeeze out from behind her and up from the couch. He put on his jacket and turned to look at her. "Walk me out?"

Emma watched as he turned away and walked up the stairs. She momentarily flashed back to Victor and Ruby, the way he'd held her hand and walked her out of the room.

_"Cut it out, Emma," _she reprimanded herself as she planted her feet on the floor,_ "that's Victor and Ruby, okay? What you have with Graham is different. There is no point in comparison."_

She was snapped out of her inner monologue when Graham reappeared. "You coming?"

Emma smiled and nodded at him. "Yup." She had a sudden idea, and held out her hand to him. "Help me up?"

Graham gave her a puzzled look. "What's the matter? You hurt?"

Emma sighed and retracted her hand. "Nope. Never mind."

He simply shrugged and ran back up the stairs.

_"You know, Emma,"_ she nagged herself, _"Victor would've helped Ruby up. And I bet David would've done the same for Mary Margaret."_

When she got to the top of the stairs, she was greeted by Ruby who was sitting on a stool at the island behind a huge bowl of ice cream. She cocked her head at her friend, but continued behind Graham to the front door.

"See you at school tomorrow?" He turned around before walking through the door and took her into his arms.

She smiled and nodded at him. "Of course." She kissed him briefly before pulling away to brush her hand over his cheek. "I love you."

He smiled and turned his face so that he could kiss her hand. "I love you, too." He kissed her once more before opening the door and walking through it.

Once she was finally alone, she walked back into the kitchen.

Ruby looked up from her ice cream and gave Emma a smile. She slid her bowl in Emma's direction. "Grab a spoon."

Emma smiled and walked over to the flatware drawer, taking out a spoon. She turned her back to the island so that she could hop up onto it. She pulled her legs up underneath her and sat Indian style in front of Ruby, the bowl of ice cream between them.

Emma looked into the bowl and saw that Ruby had selected their favorite flavor: peanut butter swirl. Emma had loved peanut butter for as long as she could remember, and it was a passion that she shared with Ruby.

Emma stuck her spoon into the bowl, taking a huge spoonful of the ice cream and shoveling it into her mouth. She groaned in satisfaction, glad that Ruby somehow knew just what she wanted.

She looked at Ruby, who hadn't stopped looking at her since she walked into the kitchen.

"Why didn't you come back down after Victor left?" She still had a mouthful of ice cream, but Ruby had no problem understanding her, which made Emma want to smile.

"Uh, I tried, but was greeted by what sounded like a heavy make-out session. I decided to see myself out instead of ruining your moment." Ruby waggled her eyebrows suggestively as she scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, god. I wish you had. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, considering the fact that I ruined the moment myself."

At Ruby's raised eyebrow, Emma decided to clarify. "I told him. I about my sex-related worries."

"Oh. How'd that go?"

Emma shrugged. "Not bad. It could have been worse."

"How did he take it?"

She explained between mouthfuls of ice cream. "Well, at first, he was definitely confused, but we talked through it and he agreed to wait until I'm ready." Emma stopped talking and dropped her spoon, rubbing furiously at her forehead. "Shitshitshit."

Ruby stifled a laugh at Emma's expense. "Brain freeze?"

Emma nodded frantically as Ruby giggled to herself. "Right on schedule."

Emma dropped her hands and sighed in relief as the discomfort began to subside. "Shut up, Ruby." She picked up her spoon and returned to the ice cream with the same enthusiasm.

"Anyway, back to Graham." Ruby reminded her. "It sounds to me like he took it pretty well."

Emma raised her eyebrows in thought. "Definitely, considering the alternative."

"The alternative?"

Emma looked at Ruby, and realized that she'd just spoken that last bit aloud. "Never mind. Just my paranoia."

Ruby gave Emma a cautious look, but decided not to push it. "Okay, then." She hopped off of her stool and reached for the now-empty bowl. "Did you do the English homework?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Ruby, did you forget who you're talking to? _Of course_ I did the English homework."

Ruby rinsed out the bowl, then turned to Emma with pleading eyes. "Can I copy it from you?"

Emma shook her head. "Sure, why not?" She didn't have a problem with Ruby copying her homework. Emma knew that Ruby was just as smart as she was, but Ruby was also lazy. "It's upstairs in my room. Come on."

Emma hopped off of the island and they left the kitchen, Ruby turning out the light behind them.

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Emma got out of bed with one thought on her mind: family game night.

It had been ages since they'd last had one, and she was just itching to get it underway. Especially since it was at David's house this time, and not hers. She loved having her friends over, but it was nice to be a guest every once in a while.

She could barely sit still all day in school, and by the time tenth period _finally_ ended, she was nearly bouncing off of the walls.

She wiggled in her seat. Ruby was seated behind her and Mary Margaret was seated next to Ruby.

Emma turned toward her friends. "Guys, I'm so excited for tonight."

Mary Margaret giggled gleefully. "Yeah, I can see that. It's actually kind of funny. I don't remember the last time I saw you this excited about anything."

Emma took a second to think about what her friend had just said. "I know. It's weird, right? What game are you going to bring?"

Mary Margaret thought for a moment before answering. "I dunno yet. What are you gonna bring, Ruby?"

"Uh, Connect 4?"

Mary Margaret smiled. "That's a good idea. We haven't played that one in a while." She turned back to the blonde. "And you, Emma? _Not_ Monopoly, I trust?"

Emma rolled her eyes in a dramatic show of irritation. "No, Mary Margaret. Not Monopoly."

Mary Margaret smiled and sat back in her seat. "Good."

Before Emma could give her snarky reply, the bell rang and she sprang up from her seat. "I gotta go to my locker. Meet you guys at the car?"

Her friends nodded at her as they split off, each going their own way.

Emma walked briskly through the halls, waving at friends as she passed them, and smiling at teachers and faculty. It was such a curious feeling to think that come June, this wouldn't be her life anymore. She would be forced to move past these halls and find her own way. Strangely enough, that thought didn't make her feel nervous or scared.

She felt _ready_.

She finally reached her locker and opened it with minimal effort, taking off her backpack so that she could put her books away. When she'd finished making the appropriate switches, she zipped up her bag, but remained standing in front of her locker so that she could check her phone. It was 2:34, and she could see that she had a text from Graham.

_Hey, let me drive you home today?_

She tried her best not to grin like an idiot as she texted back.

**Yeah! Meet you out front?**

She slid her phone back into her pocket when she felt a presence over her shoulder. Whoever he was, he was standing awfully close. "Hey, babe. I literally just texted you back—" She stopped her sentence short when she realized that it wasn't Graham, but a very amused Killian Jones smiling down at her.

"Ugh, god. What do you want?"

She slammed her locker shut and started to walk away, as he turned to walk beside her.

"I only wanted to say hi. What's the matter, _babe_? Are you not happy to see me?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Why would I be? And don't call me that."

He raised his hands in mock-surrender, laughing to himself. "You said it first, love."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Because I thought you were my boyfriend. And don't call me that, either."

He moved marginally closer to her and let his voice drop down to a low growl. "I could be if you want me to be, Swan. All you've got to do is say the word." He winked at her before moving back to where he was.

"Ha," she laughed mirthlessly, "keep dreaming, buddy."

Emma heard a laugh rumble out of his chest and she turned her head to look at him.

He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Something the matter, Swan?"

She gave him a sidelong look. "What's so funny?"

His smile grew even wider, but he didn't say a word. "Nothing, love. You wouldn't get it."

They finally reached the front doors of the school, and Killian reached around Emma to open the door for her.

She walked through it with a raised eyebrow. "Well, looks who's an undercover gentleman."

Killian huffed indignantly at that. "I'm _always_ a gentleman, Swan." Before she could rebut, he turned and walked off, leaving her standing there unsure of how to respond.

He turned back, still walking away and offered her a small wave. "See you tomorrow, love." He turned away again and resumed his walk. She watched him approach August Booth and Jefferson Hatrick. August handed him what looked like a helmet from the backseat of his car. Killian strapped it on and walked over to his bike, waving his friends goodbye. She stood and watched as he hopped onto his bike, started it, and rode away.

Emma honestly didn't know how long she'd been standing there, but she was snapped out of her reverie by a honking car horn. She whipped her head around to see Graham looking at her through the window of his car.

He rolled it down, and gave her a confused look. "Are you gonna stand there all night?"

Emma finally came back to reality and scrambled across the concrete to Graham's car. She opened the passenger door and slid inside. She strapped on her seat belt, and he leaned in to give her a kiss.

She kissed him soundly, smiling against his lips when she pulled away. "Sorry, Graham. were you sitting here for a while?"

He looked out of the windows, making sure the coast was clear before he sped off. "Nah, not really. I came up just as your friend was walking away. Who was that guy? Didn't catch his face."

Emma shook her head. "He was nobody."

Graham shrugged and decided to change the subject. "Listen, Emma. I've got some bad news."

Emma looked at him with a raised brow. "What kind of bad news?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I won't be able to make it to David's tonight."

Emma felt her heart drop into her stomach, but tried to keep her expression neutral. "Oh. Why not?"

"Something... came up. Believe me when I say that if I could get out of it, I would." He paused, waiting for her to say something. When she remained silent, he sighed and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."

She avoided his gaze. It wasn't that she was exactly angry or upset, but she didn't want to know if he was lying or not. And looking into his eyes would tell her anything he may have been hiding. So she looked out of the window instead.

"Are you angry?"

She pasted a one-dimensional smile onto her face and shook her head. _Of course I am._ "Don't worry about it, Graham. It's not a big deal." _It's only the first time in forever that we've all been able to get together like this, but don't worry, I will gladly be the fifth wheel for the night. Thanks for nothing. _

When he pulled into her driveway, Emma hopped out of the car and slammed the door shut without kissing him goodbye. She walked into her house and closed the door behind her without even so much as a look over her shoulder. She sighed and threw her jacket off as she walked into the kitchen. Ruby wasn't home yet, which told her that David must have taken Mary Margaret home first.

Emma decided to make herself a mug of hot chocolate. She was stirring it together when she heard the front door open. She heard Ruby's laughter sail through the air as David wrapped up the story he was telling her.

"No, really, Ruby. I'm dead serious. The kid looks at me and he goes—" David's gaze shifted from Ruby to Emma. "Uh oh."

Ruby stopped laughing and scrunched up her face in confusion. "Uh oh? That makes no sense."

David rolled his eyes at her. "Not that, Ruby. Emma's making hot chocolate."

Ruby's eyes widened knowingly as she turned her head to look at Emma. "Uh oh."

Emma looked at her friends. "What? I don't get it."

Ruby walked over to Emma and sat at the island, across from where Emma was standing. "Well, it's not snowing. And," she checked her wristwatch, "it's not breakfast time, but you're making hot chocolate. Something must be wrong."

Emma shook her head. "Cut it out, guys. You know I hate it when you try to analyze me like this."

David sat next to Ruby and leaned forward on his elbows. "The fact that you're pushing us away only confirms our suspicions, Emma."

As she reached for the cinnamon, David snatched it up and held it out of her reach.

Emma sighed in frustration. "Come on, David."

He shook his head, clutching it tightly in his fist. "Tell us what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"Fine," he reasoned, "then no cinnamon."

Emma leveled her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine," she challenged, taking her mug over to the sink and pouring its contents down the drain, "now I don't need it."

Ruby's eyes widened and she looked at David. "Oh my god, David. I've never seen her like this before. Or, at least, it's been a while."

"I know," he agreed, eyeing Emma warily, "this must be something big."

Emma walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She threw herself down on her bed and pulled the covers over her body.

It wasn't long before she heard the inevitable knock on her door. "Go away, guys."

She knew that it was a futile endeavor, but she tried anyway, sighing when she heard the door open.

"You know we're not gonna do that." David responded, holding the door open for Ruby as they walked into the room.

Ruby walked around the bed and got in next to Emma. David walked up to the side where she was laying, and threw back the covers. "Scoot over."

Emma smiled weakly and rolled into the middle of her bed as her friends got in on either side of her.

David laid on his back, sliding his arm under her head. Emma laid her head on his arm as Ruby laid her head on Emma's shoulder.

Emma stared at the ceiling as David spoke. "Alright. Start talking, Emma. I think we've made it clear that we aren't taking no for an answer."

She sighed and covered her face with her hand. "It's Graham. He's not coming out with us tonight."

Ruby scrunched up her face in thought. "Well, that sucks. Why are you so upset about it, though? It wouldn't be the first game night that he's missed."

Emma kept her eyes trained on the ceiling. "I know. But something about this just doesn't feel right."

"How so?" David asked, honestly trying to understand.

"It's just the excuse he gave." Emma clarified, trying to quell her emotions. "He said that 'something came up.' It just didn't sound sincere."

Ruby sat up now, taking a seat and the foot of the bed and tucking her legs under her. "Did you use your superpower on him?"

Emma sat up next, leaning her back against her headboard and pulling her knees up to her chest. She shook her head. "No. But the funny thing is, I didn't _need_ to. I could hear it in his voice that he wasn't being honest. So I just avoided his eyes because I knew that that would have made everything worse."

When David finally sat up, he put one of his arms around Emma's shoulders and stretched his legs out in front of him. "While we all know that Graham can be," he paused as he searched for the correct wording, "a complete and total asshole, I think that an important part of you trying to make your relationship work would be trust. While you feel that he may have been dishonest with you, maybe he's just having an off day and he doesn't want you to know. He hasn't given you any reason not to trust him." When Ruby shot him a pointed glare, he decided to clarify. "Not recently, anyway."

Emma rested her chin on her knees as she pondered David's words. He _did_ have a point. And besides, believing that was much easier that believing that Graham was already lying to her again. So, she decided to push it out of her mind. "You're right, David." She sighed as she wiped away the stray tears that had fallen halfway down her cheeks. "God, I'm so sorry guys. I'm such a fucking mess." She tried to laugh, but her attempt at lightheartedness came across as just that: an attempt. Completely phony and equally transparent.

Ruby crawled up the bed and sat on Emma's other side. "It's okay, Emma. You know that you don't have to apologize. If we couldn't handle you, you would know it by now."

Emma let out a strangled chuckle and smiled at her friends. "You guys are the best."

David hugged her tightly before he released her and checked his watch. "Shit, it's already 3:30. I gotta get going." He hopped off of the bed and walked backwards toward the door. "See you ladies at six?"

Ruby smiled and nodded while Emma just groaned and got under her covers again.

"I'm counting that as a 'yes,' Emma. Just so we're clear." He heard her mutter a half-hearted 'whatever' before he closed the door and went downstairs, letting himself out of the house.

* * *

"Come on, Emma. A few hours ago, you couldn't stop thinking about this night."

Emma and Ruby stood on David's front porch, looking at each other as Emma had to battle the urge to turn and run back home.

"I know, Ruby. But that was before all these Graham-related worries started to eat at my brain."

Ruby groaned. "Come off it, Em. You just want an excuse to go home. Don't deny it."

Emma leveled her shoulders and looked at Ruby with pleading eyes. "Please, Ruby."

Ruby held up her hand to Emma, and then rang the doorbell. "Nope. You and I are going to go into this house. We are going to enjoy the company of our friends. We are going to laugh, and eat pizza, and play games until you forget why you even wanted to stay home. Do you hear me?"

Before Emma could even reply, the door was opened and David looked out at them with a bright and happy smile. "Glad to see you both decided to join us." He stepped back from the door and made a sweeping gesture with his arm, motioning for them to come in.

Once they were in, they removed their jackets, hanging them on the rack by the door. They followed David into the living room, where Mary Margaret and Victor were chatting merrily. They walked in and set their games down on the coffee table. Ruby kissed Vicor hello (on the cheek, of course), and then sat next to Mary Margaret on the floor, while Emma settled in next to Victor on the couch.

"Okay," Ruby chirped excitedly, "what are we going to play first?"

The rest of the evening was a blur of cards and dice and laughter. Emma had honestly forgotten why she'd been upset. At least for a few moments.

They were finally down to their last game of the night: Pictionary. It was one that Emma had always enjoyed, especially with her friends, considering the fact that not one of them could draw. It was during the setup of the game that Emma remembered that her partner was not there.

"You know what, guys? Maybe I'll just watch you play." Emma resigned as she sat on the couch.

Mary Margaret sat next to her, taking her hand. "Don't be silly, Emma. This is your favorite part of game night. I'll sit this one out. You play with David."

Emma was about to refuse when the doorbell rang. Every head turned toward the direction of the sound as David rose from the table to go answer it. When he came back into the room a minute later, Graham was following closely behind, both hands in his pockets.

He looked at Emma with a sheepish glint in his eye and a boyish smile on his face. "I hear I'm just in time for Pictionary."

Emma smiled and ran over to him, throwing herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, inwardly scolding herself for missing him so much. "Yeah, thank god. I almost had to be on _David's_ team."

"Hey! I heard that!" David whined, although there was a smile on his face.

Ruby clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Are we gonna play or what?"

Emma pulled Graham further into the room by his hand and they settled in front of the coffee table. "Let's do it."

Pictionary was fun as usual. David would try to draw something, and it would come out looking as it always did: nothing like it was supposed to. Emma reasoned that she really shouldn't give him such a hard time about his lack of skill, as Graham was no better. What he had meant to be a sea turtle looked more like a football with spots.

Once the game was played, everyone was getting ready to leave, putting on jackets and hugging out their goodbyes.

They had all filed out of the living room while Emma was putting on her jacket. She flipped her hair out of the back of the jacket as David walked up to her. "So, was it worth leaving your bed after all?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Is this how you fish for compliments? Do you want me to tell you that you were a perfect host and that I can't wait to do this again?"

He laughed and pulled her in for a hug. He rested his chin on her head as she spoke to her. "No, but if you felt the need to tell me so, all you had to do was say it." He felt her smile against his chest. "I'm just happy that you enjoyed yourself, Emma." He let her go and looked into her eyes. "Is Graham driving you home?"

She tucked her bangs behind her ear and shook her head. "No, he said he has to be home soon."

She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to say something else, but he merely nodded and squeezed her shoulder. "Alright, then. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He kissed her on the top of her head and walked her out into the foyer where the rest of the gang stood waiting.

They all said goodbye to David once more before stepping out of his house and into the cool night air.

Mary Margaret went over to her car and hopped into it, starting the ignition and beeping the horn of her car as she sped off.

Ruby and Victor stood by his car, kissing their goodbyes as Emma and Graham were talking in front of hers. They were leaned up against the hood of her yellow bug, neither looking at the other, just staring straight ahead into the night.

"I wasn't expecting you to come tonight. What changed?" She turned to look at him now, studying his face for any signs of hesitation.

He kept his eyes trained on some spot far on the horizon. "I, uh..."

Her stomach clenched— he was stalling. Which, of course, meant that he was trying to think up an excuse.

"The thing that I had to do ended earlier than expected. So, I figured that I would swing by and see if anyone was still here."

Emma sighed, trying to believe him. Like, _really_ trying. "Graham, look at me."

He sighed and reluctantly turned his head to face her. "Yes, Emma?"

"You're not lying to me, are you?" She stared intently at his face, answering herself before he even opened his mouth. "Because if you are, I'm not just going to sit around and pretend that I'm okay with it."

She stood upright, pushing off of the bug with her hands. "It's taken a lot for me to even be able to trust you. And if you're taking my trust for granted, I swear I will—"

"Emma." He sighed, moving now to stand in front of her. "I'm not lying to you. Something honestly came up, and I wasn't expecting it. But I dealt with it, and got here as soon as I could so that I could be with you."

She looked into his eyes and felt the relief wash through her. He was telling her the truth. After the relief had subsided, she felt something unpleasant in the pit of her stomach: guilt.

"God, Graham. I'm so sorry. I feel like one of those controlling psycho girlfriends who has to know everything about everything you do." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know why I'm acting like this."

Graham held out his arms and she walked into them, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Don't feel bad, Emma. We have a long road ahead of us before I've completely earned your trust. I know that, and I've accepted it. I told you that I would do whatever it takes, right?"

She nodded instead of answering.

"Well, this is just a part of that process. If you feel suspicious, don't be afraid to tell me so. I am going to do whatever I need to to put your mind at ease."

She broke out of his embrace so that she could kiss him soundly on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. He responded in kind, holding her tightly by the waist.

They were interrupted by the exaggerated sound of someone clearing their throat.

Both their heads turned to see Ruby looking at them with a devilish smile on her face. "While I hate to interrupt, I would like to get home sometime before sunrise."

Emma rolled her eyes and kissed Graham once more before pulling away. "See you tomorrow."

He smiled at her as he walked backwards in the direction of his car. "See you tomorrow, Emma."

When they finally started off on the road to their house, Ruby turned to Emma with an expectant gleam in her eye. "So? Did he tell you what he was doing?"

Emma shrugged. "Nope. He only said that he finished early. Whatever it was."

Ruby sat back in her seat and looked straight ahead of them. "And you believe that?"

Emma thought for a moment before answering. "Yeah, I do."

* * *

**Wow, okay. This was kinda long. These Emma chapters really seem to get away from me!**

**I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to review— even if it's only to yell at me for taking a month to update.**

**(Still sorry, btw)**

**See you lot next chapter!**

**PS— I just wanted to add that your follows/favorites/reviews mean _so_ much to me, guys. Honestly. This fic is something that I get prouder and prouder of every chapter, and it's an amazing feeling to know that you guys are enjoying it as much as I am. That being said, the best is yet to come!**

**PPS— If it ever happens that I take forever to update, feel free to follow me on tumblr (oncertwice) for updates on how each chapter is coming along! You also might find some one shots and drabbles that'll hold you over between updates.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks to all those who read/reviewed/followed/favorited!**

**********Also, I noticed that this story has a little over one hundred follows! That may not seem like a lot compared to other stories, but I certainly appreciate it. Honestly, thank you guys so much!**

**_**This chapter switches points of view between Killian and Emma after the divisions in text.**_**

* * *

Killian barely squeezed through the door to his art class as the late bell rang.

(He had to acknowledge the slightly embarrassing fact that it was already October, and he still couldn't master his schedule.)

Killian ignored pointed glares and annoyed eye rolls from his classmates as he made his way to his seat, throwing his backpack down on the floor as he settled in, and pulling a smock over his head.

"Alright, guys," Mr. Glass announced, "today is Friday, and you know what that means: still life day!"

The reaction from the class was mixed, ranging from excitement to indifference to annoyance.

Mr. Glass pretended not to notice as he went on. "I've set up four different stations around the room, okay? You're going to pick one and spend the rest of class painting or drawing it. Preferably drawing, because paint takes a while."

A few hands raised, but Mr. Glass went on, ignoring them for the time being. "And before you can ask: yes, I will be collecting these pieces before you leave today. Any other questions?"

The hands that were raised went down as Mr. Glass looked about the classroom. "No? Alrighty then, the rest of the time is yours. Get to work."

Every student hopped up from their seats and milled about the classroom, trying to find the still life best suited to their style or taste.

Since he had no preference, Killian waited until his classmates had settled in, and began to drag his stool and easel over to the least-populated station.

As he made his way across the room, his stool bumped into the easel of a brunette, who let out an annoyed whimper as he passed her.

He set his stool and easel down, turning to see her scrubbing furiously at her parchment with an eraser.

"Aw, come on!" She whined to herself, eyes trained on the page.

He recognized her as Emma Swan's friend Ruby.

Killian walked over to her, stopping just over her shoulder. "I'm terribly sorry, lass. I have to admit that I'm not always fully aware of my surroundings." He gave her a slight bow, and Ruby looked him up and down before returning to her page, swiping away the shavings left by the eraser.

She sighed, not really looking at him as he spoke. "You're lucky I decided to work with graphite today. Otherwise this conversation would already have come to an abrupt and violent end."

Killian looked at her, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly agape, unsure if she was joking or not.

Ruby looked at him and flashed him a brilliantly white smile. "I'm only kidding."

Killian smiled warily at her as she burst into a fit of giggles. "You should have seen your face! Oh my god, that was great!"

He had to admit that her laughter was contagious, and before too long he was laughing along with her. "I must say, for a moment there I wasn't sure how to respond."

Ruby wiped at the corners of her eyes, sighing contentedly. "Seriously, don't worry about it."

He nodded and extended his hand to her. "I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced. My name is Killian Jones."

She smiled and shook his hand delicately. "Ruby Lucas." She turned back to her parchment and started making precise and quick strokes of her pencil against the paper. "Why don't you work over here? The perspective is great."

Killian turned his gaze to the still life. The lamp hanging over it cast some defined shadows over the piece. He shrugged his shoulders and reached for his stool and easel. "Why not?"

He pulled them over and then settled in next to Ruby.

She turned to him and gave him a sideways glance. "What's your medium of choice, Killian?"

He smiled at her and shrugged. "Honestly? I haven't one. But today, I feel like charcoal."

Ruby oohed and ahed in a pseudo-impressed tone. "Very nice."

"And you?" He asked her as he opened his box of charcoal pencils, setting them down on his easel.

"Typically, it's oil paint. But today, I felt like graphite."

He smiled wryly. "Lucky for you."

She laughed as she used her pencil to fill in the shape she'd outlined. "Yes. Very lucky."

"I think I saw one of your pieces hanging in the glass case by the library. A landscape of an open field?"

Ruby smiled shyly. "Yup, that was mine."

Killian nodded, using his finger to blend a line he'd just drawn. "It was quite good. I've a soft spot for landscapes myself."

"Do you really? Have I seen anything of yours around school?"

Killian paused a moment to think. "Did you see the drawing I did of your grandmother's diner?"

Ruby stopped drawing and her eyes lit up. She remembered that piece very clearly, especially because it looked more like a photograph than a drawing. "That was _yours_? Killian, it was amazing!"

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Thank you, I worked damned hard on it."

"It shows. I notice that you pay very close attention to detail."

He furrowed his brow, not looking up from his paper as he answered her. "What makes you say that?"

Ruby shrugged. "Well, for starters, that drawing looked very intricate. You even got the cracks in the sidewalk down."

He made a 'hmm' sound in the back of his throat as she continued.

"That, and the fact the you've been blending over that same line for about three minutes now."

He looked at her and they both laughed. "I guess I have, haven't I?" He leaned back, wiping his hands on his smock. "Well, that was just something I learned from a young age. To be thorough."

Ruby nodded, turning back to her drawing. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that." She paused, looking back and forth from the still life to her paper. "Especially not when work like yours is the result."

Killian smiled. Ruby was a genuinely nice girl, and she wasn't bad company. He honestly wondered why he'd never spoken to her before.

His thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Glass' booming voice. "Alright, class, we've reached the five-minute mark. Start cleaning up and don't forget to put your names on your papers!"

Killian scribbled a quick signature into the bottom corner of his paper before hopping off of his stool. He walked it over to Mr. Glass and placed it in his hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Jones. I'd also like to have a word with you and Miss Lucas after class, if you don't mind."

Killian nodded, turning and walking back to where he'd left Ruby. "Glass says he wants to talk to us before we leave."

Ruby's head whipped around to look at him, eyes wide. "What, really? What did we do?" She pulled off her smock and balled it up, tossing it into her backpack. "Are you trying to get me back for earlier?"

Killian laughed at Ruby's suspicion. "No, I'm not. And I've no clue what he wants. Your guess is as good as mine."

Once the bell rang, the rest of the class filed out of the room, leaving Killian and Ruby behind.

They walked over to Mr. Glass, standing side-by-side in front of him.

"Thank you both for sticking around." He started, folding his arms across his chest.

Killian nodded, and Ruby offered a small 'sure' in response.

"As I'm sure you both know, the Community Art Fair is coming up this weekend. It starts tomorrow, actually."

Killian nodded again as he listened. The Community Art Fair was an annual event where local artists' paintings were showcased to be bought or just simply looked at. He had had a few pieces in the show last year and the year before.

"The committee for the art fair has asked that I provide them with work from my best students. You two were at the top of my list."

Killian and Ruby looked at each other, sharing bright smiles.

"Great, thank you." Killian beamed, giving Mr. Glass an appreciative smile.

"Sure, but that's not all." Mr. Glass paused, looking from Ruby to Killian and back. "This year, they want to start putting a bigger emphasis on art in the schools, so they've asked me to pick two of my students who would be willing to give a live demonstration."

Killian's eyebrows shot up into his hair as Ruby mirrored his shocked expression.

"Wow, Mr. Glass," she started, "that sounds like a pretty big deal."

He nodded. "I won't lie, it is. But I also won't force you guys into it if you aren't up for the challenge. It's not even a challenge, really. All you have to do is sit there and paint." His gaze shifted from Ruby to Killian. "Or, in your case, Killian, draw."

He nodded, only half-registering what Mr. Glass had just said. "Uh, I guess I'll do it. What about you, Ruby?"

She ran a nervous hand through her hair, shooting Killian a dirty look. "Way to put me on the spot, buddy." She sighed, as if deep in thought. "I mean, I guess I'll do it, too."

Mr. Glass smiled and clapped his hands excitedly. "Great! Really, thank you guys so much for this!"

Killian nodded with a smile. "Now, where exactly are we supposed to be demonstrating?"

Mr. Glass walked around his desk, reaching into one of the drawers and pulling out a sheet of paper. "You can pick one of these places. It's just a list of local attractions and businesses that signed up to house some of the artwork in the fair." He handed the paper to Killian, who held it in one hand, between himself and Ruby.

He read over the list, and his eyes fell on the only place he could see himself spending an entire day. "I'll take Granny's Diner."

"Hey," Ruby whined, "I was gonna pick that one!"

Mr. Glass held up his hand to silence any argument. "You can _both _go there. In fact, that kind of works out better. I'll be able to keep an eye on you."

Ruby and Killian looked at each other before he turned back to Mr. Glass. "Great. Are we done here?"

Mr. Glass rolled his eyes at Killian's impatience. "Uh, yeah, I suppose. Just come back here before you go home. You can pick which pieces of yours you want to be exhibited. You both get three."

Ruby smiled brightly. "Okay! Thanks a lot, Mr. Glass."

He nodded and waved them off. "Sure thing."

Killian and Ruby grabbed their backpacks and made their way out of the art room.

"Gosh, I'm so nervous now." Ruby sighed, toying absentmindedly with a lock of her hair.

Killian smiled and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't be. It'll be just like class was today." He paused when she gave him an incredulous look. "With the added bonus of an audience." She laughed, and he gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You'll be fine. And if you need anything, I'll be right there with you."

Ruby smiled, leaning in to give him a quick hug. "You know, you're awfully nice for a guy I just met forty-five minutes ago."

He hugged her back before she released him. "What can I say? It's in my nature. But don't tell anyone, yeah? You may ruin my tough guy reputation." He gave her a playful wink and a winning smile.

She laughed and started to walk backwards away from him. "No worries. Your secret is safe with me." She waved at him before turning around. "See you later, Killian."

He smiled as he turned to walk in the opposite direction. "See you later, Ruby."

* * *

Emma had had a strange week at school, but was glad that it was finally Friday, and she only had one class left.

She trudged into her English class, and took her usual seat. She was only sitting alone for a few minutes when Mary Margaret walked in and took the seat behind her.

"Hi, Emma. How's your day been?" Mary Margaret's voice was as cheerful and melodic as it always was, and that thought made Emma smile.

"Um, it's been okay, I guess. This whole week has just thrown me off a bit."

Mary Margaret looked at Emma, studying her face for a moment before she spoke. "Actually, you _have_ been acting somewhat strangely. Want to talk about it?"

Emma looked at her friend, trying not to look as bothered as she felt. She sighed and shook her head. "It's just... Graham has been acting really weird. After game night on Tuesday, we talked and he told me why he was late. At first, I believed him, but I've just been thinking about it a lot and now I—"

Emma cut herself off when she heard the sound of Ruby's laughter cut through the air. She turned her head to see her friend walking in with— _is that Killian Jones_?

Ruby and Killian walked into the room, both chatting and laughing happily. Ruby followed him over to his desk as they continued their conversation. Something about the way they laughed together made Emma feel somewhat wary. She'd never seen them even _talk_ before, and now all of a sudden they're best friends? She was even laughing with Jefferson and August, too.

When class was about to start, Ruby said goodbye to Killian and his friends and made her way over to her desk next to Mary Margaret.

Emma turned to face her, looking at her through skeptical eyes.

When Ruby met Emma's gaze, her smile fell away and she looked at Emma with a raised eyebrow. "Something the matter, Em?"

Emma looked over her shoulder at the back corner of the room, where the three boys were still laughing and talking among themselves. "Since when are you their fourth musketeer?"

Ruby laughed softly to herself before she answered the question. "Actually, I'm not. Killian and I are friends, I guess. We started talking earlier today in our art class."

Emma looked at Ruby, still unsure of why she even cared who the brunette talked to. She shrugged and turned around. "Oh, I see."

The rest of class flew by, and before Emma realized it, it was time to go home. The three girls left their English class, and started off in the search for David.

And that's when Emma heard Killian's voice.

"Hey, wait up!"

Emma groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she turned to face him.

"What is it now? And it better be quick, because I've had one hell of a week and I—"

"Actually, Swan," Killian cut her off with a shy smile, "I was talking to Ruby."

Emma blinked at him, clearly confused, and even more so embarrassed, and stepped back as Ruby walked up to him.

"What's up, Killian?" She asked cheerily, beaming brightly at him.

"Just checking one last time that you haven't chickened out on this demonstration."

Ruby laughed, and then her face straightened into a look of surprise. "That's right! We have to go back and pick out our pieces for the art fair!"

Killian's eyes went wide as he remembered. "That's right. Walk with me?"

Ruby nodded, and the two of them turned toward the direction of the art room. She stopped walking and turned back to her friends. "I'll meet you guys at the car; just don't let David leave without me!"

"Don't worry about it, Ruby," Killian spoke up, "I can drive you home. That way, you can take your time picking out your work for the fair."

Emma's eyes widened when she heard Killian's words. He and Ruby just became friends a few hours ago, and now he's driving her home?

"It's no problem, Ruby," Emma chimed in, "I'm sure David won't mind waiting."

Every head turned to look at her, and she felt a blush begin to creep its way up her neck.

"Actually, I like Killian's idea." Ruby explained, looking at Emma warily. "I don't want to hold you guys up." When she and Killian turned to walk away, Ruby looked at Emma once more over her shoulder. "See you at home, Emma."

Emma watched, rooted to the spot, as Ruby and Killian walked down the hall and around the corner. She had honestly forgotten where she was until she heard Mary Margaret's voice calling to her.

"Emma? Hello, Earth to Emma?" Mary Margaret was waving her hand in front of Emma's face, and it took a few moments before Emma blinked herself back to reality with a shake of her head.

"Uh, yeah?" Emma answered, trying not to sound too distracted, but she knew that she wasn't fooling anyone.

"You wanna maybe go find David now?"

Emma shook her head again, with a little more force this time, and cleared her throat. "Um, sure. _Yes_. Let's go."

When they found David at his locker, Mary Margaret approached him first, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Hello."

David smiled, holding her tightly by the waist. "Hi."

When he finally tore his gaze away from his girlfriend, he looked at Emma with a puzzled expression.

"Where's Ruby?"

Emma scoffed and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "She's getting a ride home from her new buddy _Killian Jones_.

David raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between Emma and Mary Margaret. "Wait, what? They're friends now?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Looks that way." She studied David's face for a moment before she spoke again. "You're not gonna go look for them so that you can try to beat him up again, are you?"

David rolled his eyes at the memory of their not-so-pleasant first day of school, and ran a hand through his hair. "No, actually. I'm not." He put an arm around Mary Margaret's shoulders, slamming his locker shut. "I'm sure that she'll be alright. Let's go."

Emma wanted to question David over the fact that when she merely exchanged a few sentences with Killian, David wanted to kill him. But Ruby was going to be completely and totally alone with Killian and David wasn't going to do or say anything about it?

"Wait. She is going to be riding in a car. With Killian Jones. That doesn't alarm you?"

David had already started walking down the hall and didn't turn back as he answered Emma. "Of course it does. I'm _more_ than alarmed, trust me. But that fight you and I had taught me to mind my own business. And besides, Ruby loves Victor."

Emma decided not to question his logic and followed behind David and Mary Margaret, settling into the backseat when they got to the car.

She had been home for a few minutes when she heard a car door slam. She got up from the couch and went to the window. There was a red car in the driveway, which she assumed belonged to Killian.

When she got to the window, both Killian and Ruby had gotten out of the car, and he was retrieving something for her from the trunk. Emma watched them talk for a few moments before she noticed Ruby starting to back away from Killian, inching closer to the house.

Emma scrambled away from the window and back into the living room, not wanting Ruby to know that she had just been watching her. Emma threw herself down in the couch and pretended to be looking at her phone when Ruby opened the door.

Ruby walked into the house, shouting a goodbye to Killian as she closed the front door behind her.

She had three large paintings with her, one in each of her hands, and the third tucked under her arm. "Hey, Em, gimme a hand?"

Emma got up from where she'd been lying on the couch and took the painting that was in Ruby's left hand. Ruby sighed with relief and quickly reached for the one under her right arm. "Thanks."

"Sure thing." Emma replied, setting the painting down on the kitchen counter. "What is all this?"

Ruby smiled brightly at Emma, piling the other two paintings on top of the first one. "Tomorrow is the start of the Community Art Fair. I get to have these paintings on exhibit."

Emma beamed at her friend. "Congratulations, Ruby! That's great news."

Ruby clapped excitedly, her smile growing wider. "But there's more! Mr. Glass asked me to do a live demonstration!"

Emma's eyes widened as she processed Ruby's words. "Whoa, that sound a like a big deal."

Ruby's smile faltered marginally and she breathed out a wary sigh. "I know, I'm super nervous about it. You'll come and see me, right? I'm gonna be at Granny's all day."

Emma put a reassuring hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it."

Ruby hugged Emma tightly before running off to her room. "Thanks, Emma! You're the best!"

* * *

When Killian got home from school, he was eager to tell his father the news about the art fair.

He threw his keys and jacket down on the kitchen table as he looked around the room. "Dad? You here?"

"Upstairs, Kil." He heard his father call from his office.

He took the stairs two at a time, reaching his father's office in a matter of seconds.

"Hey, Dad, guess what happened to me at school today—" Killian was cut off by Todd waving his hand frantically in the air in an attempt to silence him.

Todd, who had his office phone wedged between his jaw and shoulder, held up a finger as if to say 'give me a minute.' Killian took the hint, throwing himself down into an armchair as he waited for his father to get off the phone.

Once Todd had hung up, he scribbled down a frantic message on a piece of paper before he turned his attention to Killian. "Afternoon, my boy. What were you saying about school, then?" Todd leaned back in his desk chair as he waited for Killian to answer.

Killian sat up in the armchair, his hands gripping his knees. "Well, in art class today, my teacher, Mr. Glass, told me that he wants me to give a live demonstration at the Community Art Fair this year."

Todd was typing away on his computer now, but he nodded when Killian finished speaking. "That's great, son. I'm proud of you."

Killian sighed upon hearing his father's deadpan tone. "Did you even hear what I just said?"

Todd tore his eyes away from his computer screen to study Killian's face. "Yes, Killian, I did. You said you are going to be giving a demonstration at the Community Art Fair this year." He gave a satisfied smile at his son's surprised reaction. "See? I can multitask."

Killian rolled his eyes. "You can, but that doesn't mean you should." He leaned forward in his seat, putting his elbows on his knees. "Do you think you'll be able to come this year? It would really mean a lot to me. Especially since it's more than just exhibiting my work."

Todd thought for a moment before he answered. "Of course I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it."

Killian smiled, rising from his seat. "Great! Uh, it starts tomorrow, and I'll be demonstrating at Granny's Diner. It should be fun. And you'll also get to meet my friend Ruby, she's demonstrating there, too, and—"

"Did you say tomorrow?"

Killian's heart sank when he heard his father's softened tone. "Yes... Why?"

"I must've forgotten to tell you, I'm going out of town tomorrow morning. I won't be back until Monday."

Inwardly, Killian wanted to scream. Scream at his father for never being around, and scream at himself for getting his hopes up. Outwardly, however, he maintained a cool facade. Or, he tried to anyway.

"Great. That's just great. Of course you have to leave. Heaven forbid you actually put your son first for a change."

"Hey, don't take that tone with me, young man." Todd rose from his desk, standing in front of his chair with his hands on his hips. "It's work, Killian. I don't have a choice."

Killian barked out an angry laugh. "Of course you do! You always have a choice, and you always pick your job over me!"

He could feel his cheeks heating up, and decided to remove himself from the situation before it got any more out of hand. "I can't do this with you, Dad. I need to get out of here."

Killian left his father's office, running down the stairs. Todd followed him, stopping at the top of the stairs and yelling down.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Killian laughed sardonically as he threw on his jacket and grabbed his keys. "Like you care."

"Killian!"

Killian opened the front door and ran out toward his car.

Todd flew down the stairs and stopped on the front porch. "Where are you going?"

Killian turned around before getting into his car. "To Uncle Archie's. At least I know _he_ loves me."

He didn't wait for any response from his father, jumping into his car and slamming the door shut behind him. He pulled out of the driveway and sped off in the direction of his uncle's art studio.

When he pulled into the parking lot, he took a few moments to compose himself before he got out of the car. He stood beside it, checking his face in the window, wiping away any moisture left behind by his tears. He sniffled a few times before he turned around, making his way to the front door.

The bell above it rang cheerily as he looked around the room. "Uncle Archie? Are you here?"

He heard rustling coming from the back of the studio and followed the sound. He came upon the sight of his uncle sitting at a pottery wheel and singing to himself.

The sight of Archie at work always made Killian smile. He cleared his throat exaggeratedly to get the other man's attention.

Archie looked up and smiled when he saw the boy standing in front of him. "Killian!" He cheered, wiping his hands on a nearby towel. "It's great to see you, son!"

Archie hopped up from where he was sitting and crossed the room, pulling Killian into a bear hug once they were face-to-face.

Killian strained to speak as his uncle squeezed him tightly. "Hey,– Uncle Archie. It's nice– to see you, too."

Archie released the boy and held him by the shoulders. His looked him up and down, taking silent inventory with his eyes. "You look good, you been taking care of yourself?"

Killian smiled ruefully. "You have no idea."

Archie's face fell when he heard the dejected tone in Killian's voice. "Let me guess, problems with Todd?" He studied Killian's eyes and cupped the side of his face with an open hand. "You've been crying. Why don't you tell me about it?"

Killian smiled. Archie was always there for him if he ever needed anyone to talk to.

Archie wasn't really his uncle, per se. At least, not biologically. While Archie was his godfather, and his family in every way that mattered, they weren't actually related by blood.

Archie was friends with Killian's mother. The two met when they were kids and remained friends ever since. They went to college together, Izzie for art and Archie for psychology. Once they'd graduated, Archie worked as a therapist and Izzie opened an art studio.

When Izzie died, Archie decided to buy her studio instead of allowing Todd to sell it to somebody who wouldn't appreciate the love and sacrifice that went into it. Izzie and Archie were best friends, and while he would never admit it openly, he was a very gifted artist.

Archie lead Killian to the back of the studio, where there was a small kitchen. He put a kettle on and made tea for the two of them. Once it was prepared, he and Killian sat down at the table, facing each other.

"So, why don't you tell me what's happening at home, Killian?"

Killian sighed heavily, unsure of where to start. "Well, nothing's changed since we last talked. It's just that, the Community Art Fair is this weekend—"

"That's right! How wonderful!" Archie interrupted excitedly, "Do you have some work in it again this year?"

Killian nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "Yes, but that's not all." He leaned forward, his smile breaking into a full-on grin. "My art teacher asked me and another girl from my class to do a live demonstration."

Archie beamed at Killian, his eyes full of pride. "That's wonderful, Killian! I knew that Sidney would eventually come to his senses about you! You have so much talent, so much potential. Izzie would be so proud of you."

Killian smiled, leaning back in his chair. "I know. Thanks, Uncle Archie." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "One of the pieces that I picked, it's a portrait of her."

Archie's face grew reverent, and he smiled sadly. "Do you have it with you? May I see it?"

Killian stood from the table. "Sure, it's in my trunk." Killian left the studio, hustling across the parking lot and back inside once he'd retrieved the portrait.

He pulled it out of its folder and held it up in front of his uncle.

Archie gasped when he saw it, covering his mouth with his hand. "Killian, it's..."

"I know," Killian started self-consciously, "I didn't quite get it right, but I figured that it was okay."

"I was going to say that it's breathtaking."

Killian looked at the portrait in his hands. The image of his mother's smile was something that could always bring him comfort when he needed it. In the portrait she was smiling, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

"Well, anyway, Uncle Archie," Killian started, sliding the portrait back into its folder and setting it down, "I came here to ask if you could come to the art fair tomorrow."

Archie smiled warmly at Killian. "Well, I am the owner of an art studio, and my nephew just happens to be the most talented artist in his high school. Of course I'll be there."

"Great. I'll be demonstrating at Granny's Diner."

Archie chuckled to himself. "You did always love that place, didn't you?"

Killian smiled. "Of course, I still do."

Archie put his arm around Killian's shoulders as they walked back into the main part of the studio. He grabbed his coat as they walked out of the front door. "Well, I'll be there as long as you want me to be."

Killian smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "I know you will."

* * *

Emma had been waiting for Graham for what felt like ages. It was Friday night, which was usually movie night, and he was the only member of the group who hadn't yet arrived.

The other two couples were waiting for her in the basement when she returned, after calling Graham for the umpteenth time.

"I'm sorry, guys. Let's just start without him." She sighed, and threw herself down into a beanbag chair.

"Emma, it's fine," Mary Margaret started, "we don't mind waiting a little bit longer."

"Ha! Speak for yourself." David scoffed as he got up to look through Emma's collection of DVDs. "What are we gonna watch first?"

Mary Margaret and Victor almost shouted out in unison:

"Harry Potter!"

"Die Hard!"

Victor and Mary Margaret turned their heads to look at one another, each equally opposed to the suggestion of the other.

Ruby spoke up next, not giving them a chance to argue. "We always watch those movies, guys. Let's watch The Princess Bride."

"I don't really want to watch any of those movies." Emma replied tiredly as she got up from her seat, headed toward the stairs. "I think I'm just gonna call it a night, okay?"

"What? Come on, Emma," Victor chided her, "quit joking."

"I'm just not in the mood tonight. You guys have fun, though." She went up the stairs and closed the basement door shut behind her.

While she was on the way up to her room, she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. When she pulled it out, she saw that she had a text from Graham.

_Hey, I have a million missed calls from you. What's up? _

Emma felt sick to her stomach as she read his words.

**Just forget it, Graham. I swear, it's like you'll do anything to avoid hanging out with us. Or is it me you're avoiding?**

_I don't understand..._

**Where are you, Graham?**

_Just hanging out with some friends._

**Which friends?**

_Just some guys from school, you don't know them._

**Are you being honest?**

_Emma, what's going on?_

**Like I said: forget it.**

_Seriously? What did I do?_

**It's not what you did, Graham. It's what you haven't done. Whenever I want to see you or spend time with you, you're busy. But now you've skipped movie night to hang out with some 'guys from school?' We spend barely any time together. I'm starting to wonder if this is worth it.**

_What are you saying?_

**Goodnight, Graham.**

Emma threw herself down into her bed and pulled the covers up over her head. She ignored the barrage of text messages that came in, and ignored the six or seven times she heard her phone ring. She didn't know who it was, but if it was Graham, she _definitely_ wasn't in the mood to talk.

She was just so angry at Graham, and the longer she thought about it, the more she wanted to do something reckless, like—

Her train of thought was broken when she heard the doorbell ring. When it rang a few more times, she figured that nobody else could hear it. She threw off the covers and ran down the stairs. When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of Killian Jones smiling at her with a devilish glint in his eye.

"Evening, Swan."

"Hi." She breathed, clearly surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

Killian raised his hand, which was clutching a small black pouch. "Ruby left her brushes in my car. She around?"

Emma wanted to roll her eyes. "Oh, right. Your new best friend." She took the bag from his hand and threw it into the house behind her. "I'll make sure she gets them."

Killian chuckled softly at her haste. "My, my, Swan. What has gotten into you tonight?"

"Nothing."

He scratched lightly at his ear as his smile grew wider. "Ah, I see. Perhaps the issue is that nobody has gotten _into_ you in a while?"

Emma bit back a laugh at his comment. "Are you implying that I need to get _laid_?"

Killian shrugged his shoulders, throwing up his hands in mock-surrender. "I don't exactly know your life. I'm merely saying that should you ever require my _services, _I could certainly make myself available."

Emma laughed outright, but she felt a chill run down her spine at the tone in his voice. One more stupid comment like that and she would be liable to actually take him up on his offer. "So now you're an escort?"

He laughed along with her, shaking his head. "Now, Swan, I made no mention of payment. Something tells me that the experience itself would be enough reward."

"The _experience_?" Emma asked, unsure of when her voice had become so breathy.

His eyes flicked down to her lips, and she tried not to shiver as he licked his bottom lip. "Aye."

They stood looking at each other for a few moments before Emma felt herself snap. She stepped out onto the front porch, closing the door behind her.

Killian took a minimal step back, but she kept advancing on him until they were chest-to-chest. Her eyes looked briefly at his lips before she returned to his eyes. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

Killian's eyebrows raised, but Emma could see the trepidation on his face. "Swan, I—"

He was cut off when she grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and crashed her mouth into his.

Killian froze, shocked by her actions, but reacted a moment later, wrapping one arm around her waist and burying a hand in her hair. Emma's hands trailed down his sides and she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close to her body. He groaned into their kiss, nipping at her bottom lip until she granted him entrance. His tongue danced with hers as she moved her hands, holding the sides of his face. He pulled her closer by her hips, and trailed one of his hands up and down her back.

She wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed, but when she finally needed to come up for air, she broke the kiss, resting her forehead against his.

Killian was the first to speak, his voice gruff and strained.

"That was..."

The sound of his voice seemed to jolt her back to reality, and she opened her eyes, staring at him in disbelief. "A mistake. This was a huge mistake. Oh my god, I can't believe I just did that."

"Emma, don't—"

"No," she cut him off, backing away toward the front door, "you need to leave now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"Emma, really, it's—"

"Goodbye, Killian." She hastily dismissed him and went back into the house, running up the stairs to her room.

Once she was safely inside of her own four walls, she walked over to the window, and watched him get into his car. He sat in it for a few moments, and she could see that he had a hand over his mouth. When he finally left, she went over to her bed and threw herself into it.

Emma laid down on her side and pulled the covers over her head, trying to ignore the fact that she could still feel his lips on hers.

* * *

When Killian awoke the next morning at seven o'clock, his father had already left. There was a note on the kitchen counter, which Killian noticed was hastily written in his father's hand:

_"Good Morning,_

_While I know you're probably still upset about our little spat yesterday, I left you a little something to help smooth things over. Contrary to what you may believe, I love you, Killian. —Dad"_

Killian looked at the note with a raised eyebrow and reread it for good measure.

On the other side of the kitchen, there was a gift wrapped in white paper and adorned with a red bow.

Killian skeptically picked up the box, testing its weight and shaking it lightly. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to take the plunge, tearing through its pristine white exterior.

Underneath the paper, he found a box of 96 soft pastels. Killian could say whatever he wanted about his father, but Todd certainly knew how to pick out a gift.

This particular gift was something Killian had only mentioned once or twice, and he hadn't even thought Todd was listening. He couldn't deny that he was pleasantly surprised; however the gift didn't do anything to 'smooth things over' as far as he was concerned.

He walked through the kitchen, stopping in front of the trash can. He lifted the lid and threw the box of pastels into the trash.

"Sorry, Dad," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, "but it's going to take a little more than some chalk to undo four years of damage."

He grabbed his backpack, keys, and leather jacket, checking the mirror in the hall before heading out the front door.

He shrugged on his jacket before unlocking the car and hopping in. He checked his mirrors and put on his seat belt before peeling out of the driveway and heading off in the direction of Granny's Diner.

Once he arrived at Granny's, he walked into the diner and took a seat at the bar. Within a few minutes, he was greeted by Granny, who had her usual unamused glare fixed on her face.

"Morning, Killian."

He smiled. Although Granny constantly used the same bored and annoyed tone with him, he knew that beneath the surface, she cared for him more than she'd like to admit. After all, he could probably keep the diner in business by himself.

"Good morning, Granny." Killian singsonged in reply as she filled his mug with coffee before he could ask.

"What'll it be today?" She asked as she turned around to put the coffee pot back into its spot behind the counter.

Killian smirked as he took a sip from his mug. "You really have to ask?"

Granny smiled at him as she turned to place his order. "Chocolate chip pancakes, coming right up."

"And a glass of water, if you don't mind!" He called behind her as he watched her walk away. He sat in silence for a few moments before he reached into his backpack, pulling out his sketchbook and a pack of pencils. He had a few hours until the start of the fair, so he figured he may as well get a little practice in.

Holding a pencil firmly in his hand, he made short and deliberate strokes over the page, sketching out the rough outline of a woman's face. Before he realized it, he was detailing a familiar dimpled chin.

He shaded the apples of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, adding depth to the sketch with every stroke. He moved to the top of her head, drawing cascading lines that simulated the waves of her blond hair. When it came time to finish her eyes, he got a green pencil from his backpack and detailed the irises quickly, accenting the green with flecks of brown.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been working on the sketch of Emma, but he was yanked out of his own head when his muse walked into the diner herself.

"Hey, Granny?"

He quickly scrambled to cover up the drawing, slamming his sketchbook shut and pushing it off to the side.

A moment later, Granny emerged from the kitchen, carrying Killian's pancakes in one hand and his glass of water in the other. She set them down on the counter in front of him, and he smiled his thanks as she walked over to where Emma was waiting for her.

"What's up, kid?" Granny asked as she wiped down the bar where she stood across from Emma.

"Uh, nothing, really. I just came by to see if you needed any help setting up for the art fair."

Granny looked at Emma and smiled. "Emma, it's your day off. You've really been helping me out here a lot, and don't get me wrong, I love you for it, but you should really take today and enjoy yourself."

Emma shrugged her shoulders and tucked her bangs behind her ear. She put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and smiled back. "If you say so."

Granny winked at her before walking away, pushing through the double doors of the kitchen.

Killian tried not to stare at Emma. She was standing just over his shoulder, so if he moved his head to look at her, it would have been obvious. Instead, he turned his attention to his sketchbook, making sure he didn't open it to the sketch he'd drawn of her.

He looked about the diner, trying to think of something that he could use as the subject of his next drawing. Finding nothing, he sipped his coffee, cursing under his breath when a small amount splashed onto the page of his open sketchbook.

He stared at the drying stain for a moment before he got an idea. He set the mug down on the counter and picked up a spoon. He spooned some of his coffee into the saucer it had been sitting in, and reached into his backpack. He felt around inside the bag before he found what he wanted. He pulled the paintbrush out, and dipped it into the coffee in his saucer.

He made a sweeping vertical stroke across his paper, painting past the stain on both sides. He then brushed over the stain, darkening it considerably. He added water to the coffee in the saucer, diluting it into a lighter brown, and filled in the space between the lines he'd drawn around the stain. He then made delicate lines outward from the top, meant to be the branches of a tree.

He waited for the coffee to dry, and once it had, he returned to his backpack and took out his colored pencils. He found a dark brown, and began to add swirling details, so that his 'accident' looked more like the hollow of a tree.

He outlined the trunk, drawing solid lines that defined the pale brown against the whiteness of the paper.

Once he'd finished, he picked up an orange pencil and drew a few simple leaves on the ground beside the bare tree. He used his red pencil to draw a group of leaves sailing through the air, hovering above one another as the made their way toward the earth.

As he was adding a few details, he was approached from behind.

"Wow, Jones. That's... impressive."

He turned his head to see Emma looking at him with wonderment in her eyes.

"You like that, do you?" He couldn't help the playful tone that slipped into his voice as he spoke to her. Something about Emma Swan always managed to trigger that side of him.

She laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah. It's pretty cool. I don't think I've ever seen anyone _paint_ with _coffee_ before."

"I must admit, Swan, that this was my first attempt. But I am quite pleased with the result." He picked up the sketchbook, holding it in front of himself before setting it down and turning in his seat to face Emma.

She wore her usual blue jeans, which rested at her hips. The grey shirt that she wore under her red leather jacket was cropped, the hem resting a few inches above the waist of her jeans.

Killian couldn't help himself as his eyes roved over her body, finally resting on the fair skin that was exposed to his wandering eyes.

He smiled to himself before he spoke again. "Did you forget something at home, Swan? Say, the rest of your shirt?"

When he returned his eyes to hers, she was looking at him with a firm scowl settled into her brow. She shifted on her feet, pulling the shirt down so that it rested closer to her jeans. "Very funny. But, for your information, this is how it's supposed to look."

He smirked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Then why did you just pull it down?"

Emma rolled her eyes at him. "Maybe I don't like having your eyes on me."

Killian chuckled heartily. "Then perhaps you should have worn a whole shirt."

She opened her mouth to protest before stopping herself. "Whatever. See you later."

He watched her take a few steps before he called out to her again. "Swan?"

She stopped walking, turning to face him. She folded her arms, which caused her shirt to ride up further. "What is it?"

"Are we not going to talk about last night?"

Emma's cheeks flushed as she tucked her bangs behind her ear. "I don't really know what there is to say about it. I was upset. I had just had a fight with my boyfriend, and I needed a good distraction."

Killian nodded. "I see." He felt somewhat uncomfortable with her words. Although he really shouldn't have been surprised; he knew that she had a boyfriend, but something about the way she spoke to him made him want the earth to swallow him whole.

Emma sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Killian, I'm sorry. Like I said last night, I shouldn't have done it. I just—"

"Don't worry about it, Emma." He turned back to his pancakes, poking at them idly with his fork.

When he heard the bell over the door ring, he knew that she'd gone.

* * *

For a split second, Emma contemplated going back into the diner. She thought about telling Killian that she didn't regret kissing him, that she wanted to kiss him again.

She wanted to do anything to take away the hurt tone she heard in his voice. She wanted to tell him that she didn't mean to hurt him. That she should have thought things through. That she shouldn't have dismissed him so abruptly.

Once that fleeting moment passed, she was wracked with guilt.

She could remember how awful she felt when she'd heard about Graham being with other people, and they weren't even together when it happened.

If he found out what she'd done last night, he would be devastated. She wondered if she should tell him what happened. She was reasonably angry at him last night, but that didn't exactly excuse her actions with Killian.

God, she needed to talk to somebody about this. And _fast_.

Emma drove home in a hurry and parked her bug in the driveway. She got into the house and ran up the stairs, knocking on Ruby's door. "Ruby? You awake?"

After a moment or two, Emma heard bed springs creaking and Ruby opened the door, her brown hair a mess after a night's sleep. "What is it, Emma?"

"I kissed Killian last night."

Ruby's jaw dropped and she looked at Emma in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong. What did you say?"

Emma sighed, already regretting having opened her mouth. "I– I kissed Killian last night."

Ruby grabbed Emma by the shoulder and pulled her over the threshold. "Okay, I need details."

They settled in Ruby's bed, Ruby lying on her side facing Emma, and Emma on her back, eyes trained on the ceiling fan.

"What– when– why– how– _kissed_ him?" The words fell out of Ruby's mouth in an incoherent jumble as she waited for Emma to speak again.

"Well," Emma sighed, "after I left the basement, Graham and I got into a fight."

"What about?" Ruby asked, resting her head in her hand.

"I told him that I'm tired of only seeing him at school. It seems that whenever I want to see him, he has other plans. He told me that he was hanging out with some guys from school last night."

Ruby raised an eyebrow at that. "Which guys?"

Emma shrugged. "He said that I didn't know them."

"What? You know everybody!" Ruby exclaimed, sitting and crossing her legs underneath her.

"That's what I was thinking. And I know all of his friends. But anyway, after he and I talked, I was lying in my bed, ignoring all of his calls and texts, and that's when the doorbell rang."

Ruby's eyes lit up excitedly, as she could tell that the story was about to get good. "And?"

"And," Emma began exasperatedly, "it was Killian. He gave me your paintbrushes and then he started talking, spewing all this crap about me, and how I need to get laid, and then he offered to have sex with me and—"

"He _what_?" Ruby all but squealed, her mouth grinning so widely, Emma was sure it was about to crack.

"I'm sure he was only joking, Ruby. But, the way that he was talking to me sort of set something off in my brain. And it didn't help that I was pissed off at Graham. So, I kissed him."

"And?" Ruby asked, urging Emma to continue.

"And what? That's the end." Emma sighed, still feeling uneasy about her decision to spill the beans.

"What was it like?"

Emma felt a chill run down her spine at the memory of their shared moment. The scratch of his stubble against her skin, the groans that she felt vibrating outward from his throat, the security she felt while wrapped up in his embrace, the way she never wanted him to let her go, or the fact that she almost wanted to bring him inside and—

"Emma?" Ruby was waving a hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. "Wow, that must have been _some_ kiss."

Emma smiled ruefully at Ruby. "I guess it was, but that doesn't matter, because it can never happen again."

"And why's that?"

Emma looked at Ruby gravely, trying to guess where her mind was headed. "Because, I'm with Graham?"

"Let's face it, Em. Graham is an ass."

"Hey!" Emma sat up now, turning to face her friend. "He has his moments."

Ruby nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Sure, but they are very few, and very far between." Ruby thought for a moment before she changed the subject. "Are you going to tell him?"

Emma felt her stomach drop into her pants at Ruby's question. "I don't know, should I?"

Ruby looked at Emma and shrugged her shoulders. "That's your call, Em. If it were Victor and me, I would. But, Victor and I don't exactly have the _history_ than you and Graham do."

"Ha." Emma choked on a mocking laugh. "You can definitely say that again. And again."

Ruby laughed with her before she turned to check her alarm clock, which read 10:39.

"Shit! I better get up soon if I don't want to be late for the art fair! You're still coming, right?"

Emma's mind wandered back to the image of Killian, sitting at Granny's bar. "Uh, yeah. I'll be there."

Ruby clapped excitedly before she rolled out of bed and ran into her bathroom.

Emma sat in Ruby's bed for a few more minutes, thinking about her situation. After some thought, she came to the decision that, for the time being, what Graham didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

* * *

By noon, the art fair was in full swing.

There were paintings and drawings and sculptures displayed all over Granny's Diner. Most were hanging on the walls, but some were set up on tables around the room, and few were resting on the bar.

Killian and Ruby's works were being displayed on the far side of the diner, where they were getting ready to begin their demonstration.

"Dammit!" Ruby whined as she knocked her container of paintbrushes over, the contents spilling about the floor.

"Ruby, relax." Killian sighed, crouching down to pick them up from the floor for her.

"I'm sorry, Killian, it's just that—" she cut herself off as she ran a hand through her hair and took a step closer to him, dropping her voice to a whisper. "You see that guy Mr. Glass is talking to over there?"

Killian stood upright and turned his head slightly, not wanting to be too obvious, and found Mr. Glass on the other side of the room, talking to a portly man in a red knit cap. He nodded, and turned back to Ruby. "Aye. Who is he?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear and turned back to look at him. "His name is William Smee; he's an representative from Devlin."

Killian's eyes widened, and he immediately understood Ruby's nerves.

The Devlin School of Art was one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and it was a school that Killian had dreamt of attending from a very young age.

He looked back to the man again, sizing him up. "_Devlin_? Are you quite sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Ruby affirmed, "I overheard him introducing himself to Mr. Glass."

"Wow," Killian sighed, raking a hand through his hair, "I now understand your disquietude, Ruby."

"Uh, yeah." She responded absently, settling in on the stool behind her easel.

Killian put on his apron, tying it around his waist. He sat in his spot next to her, pulling his pastels out of his backpack. When he opened the case, he almost regretted throwing away his father's gift this morning, but the regret flushed away when Killian remembered why the gift had been given to him in the first place.

He set about starting his demonstration. The piece he was working on was one that he'd been working on in class over the past few weeks. He was only about a day's work away from finishing it.

When he started it, he wasn't sure what it was going to turn out to be, but that was usually how he started most of his work. Over the time that he worked on it, the pieces eventually began to fall together.

What he had in front of him now was a landscape of a field. It had tall grass that swayed in the breeze, a shining sun, and in the middle of the field stood a Willow tree. The branches of the tree were caught in the wind, swept off to the side. There was a trail of leaves that had been shaken free, floating in the air as they rode on the breeze.

He had been demonstrating for about an hour when he heard a familiar voice across the room. He looked up to see his uncle Archie animatedly shaking hands with Mr. Glass with one hand, while the other clutched the handle of his briefcase tightly.

He watched the two men catch up and chat for a few minutes. Archie, being an art dealer and the owner of an art studio, knew pretty much everyone there was to know in that arena.

Once Archie finished talking with Mr. Glass, they shook hands and Archie walked toward Killian.

"Hey there, Killian."

Killian smiled brightly at his uncle, wiping his hands on his apron. "Hi, Uncle Archie. Glad you could make it."

Archie smiled, holding the handle of his briefcase in both hands. "Of course." He turned his eyes to Ruby and flashed her a warm smile. "And who's this lovely young lady?" Archie punctuated his statement with a quick wink toward Killian, who groaned in embarrassment.

"This is my _friend _Ruby Lucas."

Ruby's cheeks flushed slightly as she extended her paint-stained hand. "Hi. It's nice you meet you, Mr...?"

"Hopper, Dr. Archie Hopper." He shook her hand and nodded his head in Killian's direction. "This young man over here is my nephew."

Ruby smiled and returned to her painting, working her brush over the canvas in long, determined strokes.

Archie turned his attention back to Killian, walking to stand beside him behind his easel. "Wow, this looks great!"

Killian rolled his eyes. "Thanks, but it's not like you would tell me if it were awful."

Archie put an arm around Killian's shoulders and squeezed him. "I guess you're right. I'm going to go take a seat, alright? Holler if you need me."

Killian nodded and Archie walked away, sitting down in an empty booth and pulling a book and a legal pad out of his briefcase.

He had only returned to his work for a few minutes when he heard familiar laughter coming into the diner from the outside. He looked up and saw his friends coming through the door.

Killian smiled at his friends and waved them over.

"Hey man," Jefferson laughed, "nice gay-pron."

Killian rolled his eyes at Jefferson's immaturity, and August punched him in the shoulder.

"Shut the hell up, Jeff." August scolded him, although he was fighting back a chuckle. "You're a fucking moron."

"Whatever." Jefferson rubbed his shoulder as he turned his attention to Ruby. "Hey, girl. What's up?

Ruby laughed at Jefferson's playful tone, swirling her brush around in a glass of water. "Hey, Jeff. We were about to break for lunch. Right, Killian?"

Killian nodded, hopping off of his stool and extending his hand to Ruby. She took it, and jumped to her feet, untying her apron. "Why don't you guys eat with us?"

August and Jefferson looked at each other before August answered for them both. "Sure. Where are we sitting?"

The four of them piled into a booth, Killian and Ruby on one side with Jefferson and August on the other.

When Granny came over to take their orders she looked at the four faces smiling back at her. "Oh, no. Don't tell me you three troublemakers have decided to corrupt my perfect Ruby."

Killian laughed, nudging Ruby with his elbow. "No, I'm afraid not. Your little angel is here of her own accord."

Granny shook her head and got her pen and pad out of her apron pocket. "I see no good coming from this. What do you want?"

They all ordered and after Granny collected their menus, they laughed and talked among themselves.

Killian had to admit that he was surprised at how well Ruby fit in with their group dynamic. She could joke and poke fun with the rest of them, giving as good as she got.

"So, Killian," Ruby asked, dipping a fry in ketchup before biting it in half. "How did you spend your Friday night?"

Killian's mind immediately flashed to a million different things: the heated passion of Emma's soft lips on his, the way it felt to hold her and be held by her, the soft moans that traveled from her mouth to his as he kissed her; the way he lied awake all night, trying to memorize the feel of her lips on his.

"Oh, nothing worth mentioning. I didn't really do anything until I came to your house to give you your brushes." He sipped his drink, hoping that no one at the table noticed the slight quiver in his voice.

"Thanks for that, by the way. I was totally freaking out when I remembered that I forgot them." She leaned back in the booth, resting her head on the back on the seat. "I really wish you would have said hi or something. We were having a movie night."

Killian shrugged, still trying to pry his mind away from thoughts of Emma. "Sorry, love. Next time."

"Definitely." She added with a smile as she elbowed him in the side. "Scoot. I gotta go to the bathroom."

Killian chuckled and slid out of the booth, offering Ruby a hand as she got up and walked to the back of the diner.

"Alright, Hook." August grabbed his attention as soon as he sat back down. "What did you _really_ do last night?"

Killian tried to play dumb, but he knew that his friends had seen through his ruse.

"Seriously, dude. Spill it." Jefferson urged him, leaning forward onto his elbows.

"Okay, but you guys can't say a word of this to anyone." Killian looked between his friends sternly, hoping he looked at least a little bit intimidating.

Both of the boys nodded, and he knew that even if they didn't verbally say so, they had no intentions of betraying his trust.

"Well, I went to Ruby's last night to return her brushes, but while I was there I spoke with Emma."

Jefferson's eyes widened as he grinned in response to Killian's words. "And?"

"And..." Killian started warily, unsure if he wanted to even tell them anymore.

"And what?" August prodded impatiently; clearly eager to hear what happened.

"And... she kissed me."

Both of their mouths fell open and they looked at one another, clearly in shock.

"She _what_?!" Jefferson exploded, disbelief written all over his face.

"Shhh!" Killian put a finger over his lips, waving his other hand in front of his friends. "She regretted it immediately afterwards. She apparently had just gotten into a row with her boyfriend, and I was the closest available distraction." He almost stuttered over the last word, still not feeling all that comfortable with it.

"I just can't believe it. I really can't believe it." August repeated to himself, and Killian wondered if he was supposed to respond.

"Can't believe what?" Ruby asked as she approached the booth.

"Uh, nothing." Killian answered her hastily, jumping to his feet. "Ready to get back to work?"

Ruby looked from Killian to his friends and back before she nodded, giving him a sideways look. "...Sure."

They walked back over to their stations, picking up their work where they'd left off.

After a few minutes, the representative from Devlin started making his rounds, and Killian tried not to notice when he stopped in front of Killian and Ruby's works, jotting down noted on a pad of paper.

He continued to walk toward the spot where Killian and Ruby were, and when he'd finally reached them, he introduced himself.

He cleared his throat to get their attention. Once they were both looking at him, he smiled and extended a hand to Ruby first, then Killian. "Hello, my name is William Smee. I am a talent scout from the Devlin School of Art."

Killian nodded and smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Smee."

Ruby returned the same sentiment, running a nervous hand through her hair. "Same here."

Mr. Smee smiled and bowed slightly at the pair. "I was just admiring your work. And I must say that the two of you have an astounding amount of skill. Have either of you considered Devlin as an option for you post-high-school education?"

Killian's mind went blank. He wanted to jump up and down, or scream at the top of his lungs, but he couldn't make a sound.

He didn't realize he hadn't said anything until Ruby elbowed him in the ribs. "Yes, Mr. Smee," she spoke up, "we _both_ have."

Killian snapped back to reality and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes. We have."

Smee laughed a little, then nodded and pulled to business cards from the pocket of his jacket. "Here. Take these, and be sure to call me if you or your parents have any questions. We could really use talent like yours at Devlin."

After Smee turned and left, Ruby and Killian looked at each other with equally dumbstruck expressions. A moment later, Ruby started squealing and jumping up and down.

"Killian! Did you see that? Did you hear what he just said? He said he could _use talent like ours_! At fucking _Devlin_! I can't believe it!"

She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly in her excitement. He hugged her back, lifting her off of the ground before setting her down again. "I know. I can't believe it either."

He was still completely stunned; the whole experience left him somewhat numb.

Ruby, still full of giggles, leaned in closer to him as she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Oh, and remember how you ran your hand through your hair just now?"

Killian nodded, curious as to what she was trying to say. "Aye."

"Did you forget that you were just working with pastels?"

Killian eyes widened in realization as he looked down at his hands, with were smeared with the white chalk. "Shit." He went back to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror, and saw that he had left streaks of white powder in his hair. _Of course— that's why he laughed._

Of course this is how his day would go. He got to talk to a talent scout from his dream school, but he did so while looking like the Bride of Frankenstein. "Fan-fucking-tastic." He grumbled to himself as he washed his hands and then ran a damp paper towel over his head.

Once he had removed all traces of the incident from his hair, he relaxed his features and left the bathroom to rejoin Ruby.

If his uncle Archie hadn't already left for the day, he definitely would have been the first person Killian told. But, since that was no longer possible, he decided to keep the news to himself.

When he came back into the main area of the diner, he found that Ruby was no longer alone. Emma had returned.

He nodded politely at the girls as he passed them, deciding that now was the perfect time for a smoke break.

He squeezed through the crowds, with an 'excuse me' here, or a 'pardon me' there. When he was finally at the front of the diner, he pulled on his jacket and stepped outside. He breathed a sigh of relief and pulled a pack of cigarettes from the back pocket of his jeans and fished around in his jacket pockets for a lighter.

Once his cigarette was lit, he took a small walk away from the diner and sat down on the curb.

He took a long drag from the cigarette, letting his mind wander back to the previous night. The torture that he had endured, trying to force himself to sleep when all he really wanted to do was drive back to Emma's and—

_"And what?" _He asked himself, ashing the cigarette with a flick of his thumb. _"Have her slam another door in your face?"_

He laughed to himself at the memory of her flushed cheeks; the panic he saw in her eyes was something similar to a deer in headlights.

He finished his cigarette, dropping it to the ground and standing up to stamp it out with his foot. When he turned to go back into the diner, he nearly crashed into Emma as she was walking out.

"Sorry." She mumbled, trying to squeeze past him without any further conversation.

He grabbed her by the elbow, turning her around to face him. "Swan," he sighed, "you can't avoid me forever."

Emma yanked her arm away from him and righted her clothes, taking a few steps back. "What makes you think that I'm avoiding you?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Emma." He stepped closer to her, getting close enough to maintain a conversation, but not so close that she'd back away. "You're something of an open book. I know that you feel guilty about having kissed me."

"Do I?" Emma challenged him, though her voice came out in a barely audible whisper.

Killian nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "Like I said: open book."

She folded her arms across her chest, taking a minimal step toward him. "What else am I thinking?"

Killian shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "As I mentioned, you feel guilty. But not for the fact that you have a boyfriend. I've heard the stories, Swan. You and I both know that a little revenge was long overdue on that front. You feel guilty not because you kissed me," He walked all the way over to her, leaving barely an inch between their bodies, "but because you want to kiss me again."

She looked at him for a few moments, her mouth slightly agape, before she spoke again. "I don't have anything to say to that."

He laughed softly, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't expect you to."

Emma backed away from him before turning around and walking to her car. He watched as she got into it and drove away.

* * *

Emma's mind was racing she got into her car and drove off in the direction of her house.

_"Who the hell does he think he is?"_

_"Open book, my ass."_

_"What does he think gives him the right to talk me like that?"_

_"Why can't I stop thinking about him?"_

She climbed the stairs and buried herself under the covers of her bed, trying to scrub all thoughts of him from of her mind.

* * *

**Once again, this chapter was suuuuper long, so I'm sorry. (If I don't get this under control, I may just have to stop apologizing and go with it.)**

******I hope that the whole "switching POVs" thing wasn't too confusing.**

**********For those who are still craving more CS interaction: I'm picturing this story being between twenty and thirty chapters, so that's why the build-up to their actual relationship seems so drawn-out. But it will get better!**

**Also: to the guest who keeps asking if I'm going to have any "major OUAT characters like Rumple/Regina/Belle:" Mr. Gold is already in the story, and while his part is small, it will be expanded soon. In regards to the other two, You'll have to wait and see. _Please bear in mind that this is a Captain Swan story_, so any parts those characters would have would be supporting, at best.**

**(The Devlin School of Art is totally made up, just in case anyone was curious)**

**Thanks so much for reading. Don't forget to review, and see you lot next chapter!**

**PS- Thank you to my buddy Caro (proudblueeyesthings) for reading this over for me!**


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